Ahead of its national assembly’s annual meeting, the Chinese have warned the Japanese that they would be responsible if any clash arose from the swarm of patrol boats and planes operating around the Senkaku-Diaoyu Islands.

The actual words were : Japan would “be held solely responsible for all consequences.”

This occurs as there are reports of China positioning land-based missiles near the islands. And those reports come after Shinzo Abe’s visit to the US garnered sharp comments from the Chinese. All of which says: there doesn’t look there is much room for a climb down on the side of the Chinese.