China flexes its muscle in its littoral waters. They’ll do it in steps, and each one won’t be quite enough to provke international reaction. Then…

MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS
China has banned ship traffic around a disputed gas field in the East China Sea that is claimed by both Beijing and Tokyo as Chinese workers lay pipelines and cables to tap its resources, Japanese media reported Sunday.

The move is certain to spur protests from the Japanese government, which has been deadlocked in negotiations with China over rights to the undersea energy deposits. The Pinghu gas field lies in an area that straddles a median line that Japan considers the border between the two countries’ territorial claims.

Don’t forget that China or Chinese govvernment officials have asserted claims to all of the island nations off its coast. The waters between Japan and China are considered by Peking to be Chinese.