Uh oh! Chinese Warships off Coast of Disputed Islands?

This game is getting out of hand... Mainichi News reports:

7 Chinese Navy warships pass waters near Okinawa island

Seven Chinese Navy warships on Tuesday passed the contiguous zone, a band of water just outside Japan's territorial waters, around an Okinawa island amid a dispute over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by China, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.

The seven ships were spotted sailing at around 7 a.m. about 49 kilometers south-southeast of Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the ministry said.

The disagreement and argument about Senkaku Islands (known as Daioyu in China) has grown way out of proportion and has already greatly damaged business ties between Japan and China. Please refer to: Diplomatic Row a Blow to Japanese Brands.

If cooler heads don't prevail here, especially when a new Chinese government is coming in that seems to be much more nationalistic, then we have a troubled future ahead of us indeed.

Japan China Relations Ruined Over Rocks? Insanity! The New Asia Arms Race!

Unbelievable. The Japanese government goes out and buys some islands disputed by China? What the hell did they go and do that and antagonize China for?

Now, China is sending warships to the islands? Of course, then, Japan will send ships of their own too.

The News On Japan reports:

A territorial flare-up between China and Japan intensified Tuesday as two Beijing-sent patrol ships arrived near disputed East China Sea islands in a show of anger over Tokyo's purchase of the largely barren outcroppings from their private owners.

The China Marine Surveillance has drawn up a plan to safeguard China's sovereignty of the islands and the ships were sent to assert those claims, said the Chinese government's official news agency, Xinhua. The marine agency is a paramilitary force whose ships are often lightly armed.

The rocky islands, known as Senkaku to Japanese and Diaoyu to Chinese, have been the focus of recurring spats between the countries and also are claimed by Taiwan. The China-Japan dispute has been heating up in recent months, in part because the nationalist governor of Tokyo proposed buying the islands and developing them.

Japan's central government announced its own deal this week with the Japanese family it recognizes as the owner. Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told reporters the government budgeted 2.05 billion yen ($26 million) for the purchase "to maintain the Senkakus peacefully and stably."

Public broadcaster NHK said the government and the family signed a deal Tuesday.

The central government does not plan to develop the islands. Several experts interpreted the move as an attempt to block the plan by Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, which could have raised tensions further. Ishihara also had said he hoped to visit the islands in October.

Complete and total madness....

Here's more on the Asian Arms Race and current naval strength:

To read more about the Arms Race in Asia see Zero Hedge "In Response To Japanese "Antagonism" Over Senkaku Islands, China Dispatches Two Patrol Ships" here.