Backed by robust military stealth, Beijing is using the new laws as it tries to win favorable settlement terms in territorial disputes with its Asian neighbors.
Japan and India, supported by the sea power of their allies, can offer a much-needed antidote to China's expansionist designs for the Indian Ocean and beyond.
PM Kishida hopes to advance cooperation with ASEAN nations Malaysia and the Philippines to counter China's aggressive push for control of the South China Sea.
Olympic officials turned a blind eye as China prevented athletes from Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian state it is claiming, from participating in the Asian Games.
Countries such as the Philippines have lodged protests against China's new map, which includes a "ten-dash line" claiming almost the entire South China Sea.