Japan ex-army chief warns China preparing for ‘absorption’ of Diaoyu Islands

A former Japanese military chief has warned that Beijing’s increasingly assertive moves around disputed islands in the East China Sea could be setting the stage for a Chinese landing operation.
While analysts broadly agree that Beijing is seeking to expand control over the Diaoyu Islands, they differ on how close China might be to launching an outright takeover, with some warning of growing military preparations and others cautioning that a full-scale assault remains premature.
In an interview…