Abe playing an unwinnable game

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was reported to have instigated G7 to denounce China on the South China Sea disputes. And he managed to do it. On Thursday, the G7 leaders expressed their "concerns" about tensions between China and some other Asian countries over resources in the East China sea and South China Sea, "warning against any use of force".

At the just-concluded Shangri-la Dialogue, or Asia Security Summit, Abe claimed Japan was striving to maintain peace in the Asia-Pacific region in particular and the world in general, and criticized China for "not complying" with international laws to resolve the South China Sea disputes.

Japan is not a party to any dispute with China in the South China Sea. So, is Abe trying to shift the focus from the Sino-Japanese dispute over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea to win the international community's support and isolate China on the world stage? The fact is, despite his schematic move, Abe cannot deny that it's Japan that has violated international laws and challenged the existing international order.