Japan concerned by Chinese naval activity

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/japan-concerned-by-chinese-naval-activity-lack-of-transparency-in-decision-making-process/2012/07/31/gJQAx7VIMX_story.html

Japan voiced concern Tuesday about China’s growing assertiveness in regional waters at a time when it is becoming less clear who in Beijing is making decisions about the country’s military.

In its annual white paper, Japan’s Defense Ministry spoke of the “changing” influence of the Chinese military on foreign policy, although the paper did not specifically say that the influence was growing. An increasingly “complex” relationship between the People’s Liberation Army and the ruling Communist Party presents a “risk management issue” for the region, Tokyo said.

Although Japan has long expressed unease about China’s lack of transparency with regard to military spending and troop positioning, this was the first time its Defense Ministry has commented on the Chinese leadership’s actual decision-making process, Japanese officials said. Japan specifically noted the Communist Party’s once-a-decade leadership change, planned for later this year.