World View: Japan Announces Military Buildup to Counter China

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com:

• Arrest in NY of female Indian diplomat raises a major diplomatic altercation
• Japan announces new military buildup to counter China
• John Kerry rebukes China over air identification zone

Arrest in NY of female Indian diplomat raises a major diplomatic altercation

Indian citizens are expressing fury that Devyani Khobragade, an Indian diplomat, was arrested by New York City police last Thursday oncharges of having submitted fraudulent visa paperwork, and for payingher nanny about 1/3 of the minimum wage. In her visa papers,Khobragade said she would pay her nanny $4,500 a month, but actuallypaid the nanny $573.07 a month. If found guilty, Khobragade faces amaximum sentence of ten years for visa fraud and five years for makingfalse statements. India is invoking diplomatic immunity, which thedistrict attorney is contesting.

The anger in India is over the manner Khobragade was allegedlytreated: According to reports, she was arrested and handcuffed infront of her daughter while dropping her off at school, and then shewas taken to the police station, where she was strip-searched andforced to remain in a cell with drug dealers for several hours.American officials say this is standard procedure for everyone.

India’s government is taking harsh retaliatory measures againstU.S. diplomats in Delhi. The government is demanding the return ofspecial identification cards, and has already removed the barricadesprotecting the American embassy, evidently seeking to invite a carbomb attack on the embassy. 

Some officials are demanding that gay partners of American diplomatsbe arrested, as homosexuality is illegal in India. India is seekingan unconditional apology. Times of India and CS Monitor

Japan announces new military buildup to counter China

Japan has announced a plan to change its military strategy fromand transform its military from a largely land-based force to a newamphibious assault force. The shopping list includes twenty-eightF-35 stealth fighters, 17 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft, 52 amphibiousassault vehicles, and 99 light combat vehicles. 

Japan’s military buildup plans come in response to China. China hasquadrupled its defense budget in the last ten years, has claimed vastareas of the South and East China Seas, including regions that havehistorically belonged to other countries, has threatened to use itsvast military power to take some of these areas by force, and has beenharassing Japanese ships around the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, which aregoverned by Japan. Japan News andBBC

John Kerry rebukes China over air identification zone

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry rebuked China for unilaterallysetting up an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East ChinaSea ( “24-Nov-13 World View — In new escalation, China demands to control air space over Japan’s Senkaku islands”).

In the ADIZ announcement in November, Chinademanded that all aircraft must identify themselves or their flightplans before entering the zone–or else face military consequences.Kerry’s statement criticized China’s ADIZ in the East China Sea, andalso warned China not to announce an additional ADIZ in the SouthChina Sea:

So we’re not suggesting that we’re doing somethingout of the ordinary here. We don’t want anything except arule-of-law approach to the resolution of any issues andconflicts. So when you say what do we want from China, we wouldhope to continue to work closely with China, as we are on NorthKorea and other issues – trade and so forth – in an effort to tryto resolve these kinds of differences or questions in a peacefulway. We believe there is a structure that exists – the Law of theSea structure, an arbitration process. We have not taken aposition on the particular claims asserted by anybody. We havetaken a position on the way that we think they should beresolved. So we support arbitration and we support rule of law. Wedo not support unilateral actions that have the impact of beingprovocative and raising the temperature and potential conflict.

So we are not approaching this with any particular view towardsChina except to say when China makes a unilateral move, we willstate our position and make clear what we agree or disagree with,and that’s what we’ve done with respect to the ADIZ. We do notaccept it. We think it is – there’s a way to approach it. Acountry has a right to establish an ADIZ. But it has to be donethrough a process of consultation, work with the InternationalAviation Organization, and in a way that other nations areconsulted and work with it. And we think that’s the best way toproceed, and I think most countries in the world believe that’sthe best way to proceed.

The statement was made during a press conference in Manila, thePhilippines. State Dept.

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