How is a Raven like a Writing Desk: Does East Asia 2014 Have Parallels with Europe 1914?

The aggressive rhetoric continues to rise in the dispute over the island chain in the East China Sea as China has said it will issue warnings to any “foreign planes” that enter the air defense zone China declared in the region.

It’s the latest move by the Chinese to flex their military muscle over a disputed island chain that China, Japan and the Philippines have laid claim to. The warnings were announced just days after the Chinese declared that they would do regular patrols of the island chains with civilian surveillance ships.

Both Beijing and Tokyo claim the islets, called Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese. Many believe that a vast wealth of resources to include oil exist near the islets.

The top U.S. Navy commander in the region said he’s closely observed the back and forth between China and Japan, and he said Thursday that it has left him concerned.

“Well, I am concerned,” said Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear, head of U.S. Pacific Command. “Any time you have two large powers, two large economic powers, two large military powers that have a disagreement that they’re not talking to each other about, that has no clear diplomatic end state in sight, that the cost calculation can grow, because you will have — in this case, you just have primarily maritime security forces that are in and around those contested islands.”

Locklear said he worried that young officers assigned by China and Japan to the area will be making decisions that could set off a more serious exchange. Raised tensions have created an atmosphere where even small errors could have serious diplomatic consequences, Locklear warned.

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A similar, but differently spinned story via the Economist.

A message the world is confused about China's intents.

And the reason for the title above...an old article which seems to becoming more and more relevant.