Kiyofumi Iwata points to Beijing’s growing military preparations and incursions in the East China Sea as signs of a potential landing operation
In an interview with the conservative Sankei newspaper published on Monday, Kiyofumi Iwata, who previously served as the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force’s chief of staff, said “the next logical step would be a landing and absorption” of the islands, which are known as the Senkakus in Japan.
The uninhabited islets, long a flashpoint in Sino-Japanese ties, are controlled by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing.
Iwata pointed to China’s growing maritime presence around the islands over the past two years, including the frequent entry of Chinese coastguard vessels into Japanese territorial waters.
