TOKYO: Japan is alarmed by China’s new law to allow the Chinese coast guard to use force against foreign parties for what Beijing views as a violation of sovereignty or jurisdiction.

The Chinese coast guard law, to be put into force Monday, “could shake the order based on international law,” a Defense Ministry executive warns.

Tokyo is braced for possible Chinese military actions in the East China Sea, where tensions are running high over the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, claimed by Beijing.

Some in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party say that the Self-Defense Forces should play a bigger role in dealing with the situation.

A U.S. Defense Department report last year described the Chinese coast guard, often called the country’s second navy, as “by far the largest coast guard force in the world.”

Beijing put the coast guard under the command of the Communist Party of China’s Central Military Commission, the top leadership body for the country’s military, in 2018.

The new law allows the coast guard to take all necessary measures, including the use of weapons, against foreign organizations or individuals that violate Chinese sovereignty or jurisdiction.

By contrast, the Japan Coast Guard is bound by strict restrictions on the use of weapons under the law on the organization, which clearly bans it from serving military functions.

Chinese coast guard ships repeat intrusions into Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands.

Last year, Japan spotted Chinese coast guard or government vessels inside the contiguous zone surrounding the territorial waters around the islets on 333 days, a record number.

Usually, Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels deal with such ships from China. But if Chinese ships become aggressive, SDF vessels may be utilized for maritime security operations.

At an LDP meeting last week, lawmakers attacked the new Chinese law. One warned, “China is taking aim at the Senkaku Islands,” while another said, “China’s move is nothing less than a threat.”

Participants proposed writing legislation to make it easier for the SDF to play a bigger role, considering that the Chinese coast guard and military work in close coordination.

On Friday, the government held a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the regional situation including the Senkaku Islands ahead of the enforcement of the Chinese law.

China “must not apply the law in a way that goes against international law,” Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told a news conference that day.

In the East China Sea, it has become almost usual that Maritime SDF and Chinese naval ships face each other while keeping some distance.

Any increase in SDF activities there could give China an excuse to dispatch more naval vessels. “We’d fall into a trap set by China,” a senior Defense Ministry official said.

At a news conference Friday, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi only said, “We’ll make thorough preparations while hearing the LDP’s opinions.”

JIJI Press