China's Liaoning aircraft carrier with accompanying fleet conducts a drill in the South China Sea Reuters
Kim Sengupta, The Independent: An arms race is building between China and its neighbours as the world focuses on Trump and North Korea spat
While Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un traded public insults, Beijing has been quietly bolstering its military presence on islands in the South China Sea
Japan used to have one of the most powerful aircraft carrier forces in the world, with a fleet of six. The US had seven, but the Imperial Japanese Navy was close to taking delivery of two more, gaining a decisive strategic advantage when the Second World War broke out.
Four years later, the Japanese carrier fleet was at the bottom of the ocean, Emperor Hirohito had signed the surrender document and the Imperial Navy was disbanded. The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force was later formed, but with strict defensive rules of engagement.
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WNU Editor: The arms race in Asia is one of those stories that deserves far more attention than what it has been receiving.