Will Macho stupidity lead to something worse?

China has carried out a series of naval exercises in the East China Sea, a move that may fuel tensions with Japan over disputed islands. The exercise involved 11 vessels from the East China Sea fleet and eight aircraft and was co-ordinated with the marine surveillance agency and the fishery administration, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Friday. The drills focused on patrol tactics and responses to emergencies that threaten China's territory, Xinhua said. State TV footage showed a frigate, a fighter jet and some helicopters participating in the drills. It showed the vessels and aircraft operating near shore, not on the high seas or close to the disputed islands. Xinhua said patrol vessels from the fishery administration and the marine surveillance agency have recently been stalked and harassed by foreign vessels while carrying out missions. Japan and China have been displaying their naval prowess during an unexpectedly bitter dispute over the islands, called Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese. Tokyo angered Beijing last month by nationalising some of the islands, in a move that sparked violent protests in China.