China's Risky Strategy in Maritime Disputes

On the surface, China's claim that it was unaware of recent actions by its naval forces against the Japanese raises serious questions about the degree of political control over the military and the stability of the region. However, despite this rare and seemingly surprising public admission from the Foreign Ministry, Beijing is likely threatening that it may not be able to continue holding back its military as part of a strategy to convince neighboring countries to cede to its maritime claims.