Bilateral relations between China and Japan might deteriorate further should Tokyo send warships to the disputed South China Sea following its announcement that it will join forces with the US in patrolling the strategic waterway.

An editorial published by the Chinese military-backed Global Times newspaper said that China could take countermeasures once Japan and the US start their joint patrols, including staging low altitude flights over Japanese ships to pressure Tokyo.

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"The situation in the South China Sea, which just began to cool down, will be disturbed due to the waves splashed by the joint patrols by the two outside countries. China has no other choice but to take countermeasures," the editorial said.

Hostile act

Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada on Friday announced that Tokyo would join forces with US troops to patrol the disputed South China Sea through freedom of navigation patrols as well as bilateral and multilateral military exercises.

The US has been inviting Australia and the Philippines to partake in its joint patrols in the disputed sea. However, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte recently announced that Manila would end its joint patrols with the US saying he does not want the country to be involved in a "hostile act" against China.

Sun Jianguo, the deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, said Beijing would not take the joint patrols sitting down and would take measures to counter Japan's presence in the disputed sea.

'Gunboat policy'

The editorial said that once the US-Japan joint patrols begin, it would be the "gunboat policy of the 21st century against China."

"China should resolutely begin military deployment on its expanded Nansha Islands (Spratly) to balance the situation, and should notify ASEAN countries beforehand to allow the international society to know the cause of the increased tension," the editorial pointed out.

The editorial said if the patrols involve several countries and destabilize peace in the region, China would have no choice but to declare a South China Sea air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

ADIZ

"By then, China will have a system of a cluster of militarized islands and air defense identification zones to counter US and Japanese warships, which could become China's strategic progress," the editorial emphasized.

The newspaper said China should target Japanese ships in its strategic missions. The Chinese Coast Guard should also conduct regular patrols on the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands in China) in the East China Sea which China also claims as its own, the paper said.

"Tokyo is currently the most enthusiastic side in hyping up tension in the South China Sea. It intends to curb China in the South China Sea, hoping to create space for itself in the East China Sea" the editorial added. 

Tagswarships, US-Japan joint patrols, South China Sea, East China Sea, Japan, china, Senkaku Islands, Spratly Island, gunboat policy