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Overview
The Battle of East Asia (in Traditional Chinese: 東亞戰役; in Simplified Chinese: 东亚战役; in Japanese: 東亜戦争; in Korean: 동아시아 전쟁) was a naval and aerial military conflict between the East Asian nations which lasted from 27 August 2047 to 8 April 2050, where the main combat happened along the East China Sea and the Taiwan strait.
It started with several Chinese surveillance ships and battleships docking at the highly disputed Senkaku Islands (also known as the Diaoyu Islands in Mainland China), as a response to the action of the Japanese government for amending article 9 of the Japanese constitution. With the support of the United States and the pacifist constitution amended, Japan officially declares war on China for violating the international law of territorial sovereignity. At the same time, the North Korean regime has started to make preparations for the invasion of South Korea.
The conflict along the Korean peninsula sparked 5 months after the battle between Japan and China started, and Taiwan (or the Republic of China) stepped in 4 months later. This battle became a part of the wider, global conflict of World War III, with the other military campaign taking place in Europe. The war ended with a partial military victory for China and South Korea with varying degrees of political victory and political losses for both sides.
Background
The relationship between the People's Republic of China and the State of Japan has been growing cold since the end of World War II. This strain relationship is further worsen by the unwillingness of the Japanese right-wing parties to make an apology statement, as well as the Chinese government enforcing anti-Japanese teachings in it's education system. Tensions hightened when, over a majority vote in the Japanese parliament, article 9 of the Japanese constitution was amended, granting Japan the right to remilitarize and the right to declare war and fight in overseas combats. The official translation of article 9 of the Japanese constitution is as follows:
"ARTICLE 9. (1) Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.
(2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized."
The Chinese government argued that the reinterpretation and the amendment of article 9 of the Japanese constitution puts the entire East Asian region under threat, as Japanese right-wing groups could revert Japan to it's old ways of imperialism and colonialism. The United States were also criticised by China for turning a blind eye on the event.
The Japanese governent, however, argued that the current Japan Self-defence
Inspection of Japanese Military by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Force (日本国自衛隊) was too weak and too limited by the constitution to carry out any meaningful defensive operations. Furthermore, as a sovereign nation, Japan should be allowed to enjoy it's sovereign rights just like any other nation, regardless of pass events.
Just 5 hours after the bill was passed in the Japanese parliament, China dispatched several battleships to dock at the disputed territories of the Senkaku Islands, effectively annexing it. "Since Japan could no longer keep it's promise of abiding by the constitution set by the global community after World War II, the Chinese military shall reclaim the Diaoyu islands, which has been a sovereign territory of China before World War II, as a defensive countermeasure against possible Japanese remilitarisation.", as stated by Wang Yi, the foreign minister of China.
The Japanese government delayed the declaration of war on China for four years to allow time for the small and limited Japan Self-defence Force to remilitarise and restructure itself for a full-scale combat. Within these four years, government spending on military rose from US$42 billion (1% of GDP) to US$330 billion (8% of GDP), and mandatory prescription for males above 18 was imposed, despite strong oppositions from the left-wing groups. The newly reorganised Japanese military is now called the "Japanese National Forces" (日本国民軍).
On the other hand, North Korea has been making preparations for an invasion of South Korea across the border, and with war declared on China from Japan, North Korea subsequently declares war on South Korea and Japan.
Course of War
Senkaku Islands First Encounter (2047)
Battleships and aircraft carriers started entering the Senkaku Islands territory from both sides and the shelling started on 27 August 2047 at 3.17pm. Initially, the Chinese forces were successful at repelling the Japanese attacks, and managed to occupy the main island of Uotsuri-shima, but the rest of the small islets were still under Japanese control. Three weeks later, the Chinese military advancement grinded to a halt under heavy fire from the Japanese battleships.
Taiwan (officially the Republic of China) made a statement condemning the actions made by both the Chinese government and the Japanese government concerning the battle of Senkaku Islands. They also reinstated their claims on the Senkaku Islands as a sovereign territory of the Republic of China, and called for a ceasefire.
The United Nations repeatedly called for both parties to return to the negotiating table, but to no avail.
Increasing Tensions along the DMZ (2047-2048)
On 9 November 2047, two North Korean spies were caught in the city of Daesong, the South Korean city closes to the border. The South Korean government accused the North Korean government of causing instability in the region and trying to provoke a broader conflict. North Korea, however, denied the presence of North Korean spies, and regarded the news as a propaganda set up by the South Koreans to stiffle the relationship between the two countries and making a peaceful reunification of the fatherland impossible.
Another two weeks later, gunshots were heard in the DMZ. Four North Korean soldiers and three South Korean soldiers were reported dead, One North Korean soldier and two South Korean soldiers were injured. Governments from both sides strongly criticised the other for attempting to spark a war along the border, and no evidence was found regarding which side started the gunshot. This stirred up tensions among the two peoples.
War Commences across the Korean Border (2048)
Both North and South Korean governments increased their military spending by 15% and 12% respectively. With
N. Korea (red) S. Korea (blue) Captured by N.Korea (peach)
support from the Chinese government, North Korea officially declares war on South Korea. The South Korean government issued an order to evacuate the citizens who live 50 kilometres from the DMZ, whereas the North Korean government informed citizens living 30 kilometres from the DMZ to be ready to resettle in the South.
On 2 February 2048, North Korean troops crossed the DMZ with tanks and armed personnel. Several were killed by the mines planted along the border, but eventually the North Korean troops were able to establish pathways that are mine-free, and tens and thousands of troops started storming across the border into South Korea.
The South Korean forces requested for reinforcement along the border. Within a few minutes, South Korean snipers and anti-tank combatants are in position all along the border. Both sides engaged in a heavy gunfight, with significant casualties on both sides. The North Korean troops managed to capture 19 - 48 kilometres of land South of the border, and a small part of Seoul, but were unable to push further due to slow resupply from behind.
Forming of Military Alliance (2048)
At this point, both sides understood that neither of the belligerent countries are capable of dealing a decisive blow to conclude the battle. The first military alliance was agreed upon between China and North Korea, known as the China-North Korea Military Alliance Pact (in China: 中朝軍事聯盟協議; in North Korea: 조선-중국 군사 동맹).
Although there were no tensions between the Chinese and the South Korean government, the signing of the military alliance pact was seen as a potential threat to South Korea's national interest. According to article 3, section (b) of the China-North Korea Military Alliance Pact:
"The Chinese military is allowed to cross the China-North Korea border into the Korean peninsula to assist the North Korean government should North Korea face any potential threat from foreign powers."
This meant that while South Korea can repel any attacks made by North Korea, they should be careful not to gain too much of a stronghold up North so that the article of the alliance pact is not triggered. The United States have been playing a supportive role in this battle, and encourages Japan and South Korea to form a military pact for the course of war. WIthout much of a choice, the South Korean government reluctantly formed an alliance with Japan, but stated that the alliance will be abolished after the war. The Japan-South Korea Mutual Assistance Treaty (in Japan: 日韓軍事同盟; in South Korea: 한국-일본 상호원조 조약) was signed. This left the relations between China and South Korea to an all time low.
Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis (2048-2049)
The Taiwanese elections were held on 3 January 2016. The battle of the Senkaku Islands between China and Japan as well as the cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan has been a hot topic for debate for this election. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) proposed that Taiwan should preserve the status quo and not get involved in the conflict, while requesting for military protections from the United States. The Kuomintang (KMT), however, emphasized on heavier military spending to ensure that Taiwan would be self-sufficient for security, and if possible, using this opportunity to bring back the Republic of China to it's international position.
The PRC government has been keeping a close watch on the elections, warning that any attempts to declare an "independent Taiwan state" or to "revive the ROC" would lead to the destruction of Taiwanese democracy itself. The KMT narrowly defeated the DPP, with the KMT presidential candidate gaining 54% of the popular votes.
With an increase in military budget in Taiwan, China started to dispatch it's troops along the Taiwan strait. Kinmen, which is a ROC territory very close to mainland China, is seen as a territory likely to be the first capture point should a conflict between China and Taiwan happen.
Senkaku Islands Second Encounter (2049)
After the first wave of shelling and bombing one and a half years ago, the Japanese decided to launch a second wave
Uotsuri Shima(1), Kojima(4&5) Oki-no-Kita-iwa(6), Tobise(8)
of attacks to reclaim Uotsuri Shima. This time, the units dispatched was three times greater than the previous encounter. The Chinese military was also making plans to capture the remaining Senkaku Islets.
The Japanese army gained slight aerial advantage due to it's deployment of faster and more modernised jet fighters, but were unable to dominate the naval arena. The Chinese army decided to penetrate through the heavy defence lines of the Japanese army to gain a foothold in Tobise island, Kojima Island and Oki-no-Kita-iwa island. Although they were sucessful in landing on these islands, the supply lines were largely disrupted or cut by the Japanese air force, making reammunition extremely difficult. Just two days later, all three islands were recaptured by Japan.
Citations
1. By Map of Korea-blank.svg: Originally created by NordNordWest, Adapted by FriedC derivative work: Mnmazur - This file was derived from Map of Korea-blank.svg:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19200927
2. By Diaoyutai senkaku.png: Taichi derivative work: Phoenix7777 (talk) - This file was derived from Diaoyutai senkaku.png:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21398790