South China Sea disputes could escalate: report

Tokyo

THE most dangerous "flash point" for possible security incidents between and among Asian powers has shifted from the East China Sea to the South China Sea, a Japanese defence analyst suggested at the unveiling on Friday of Japan's latest East Asia Strategic Review.

"The year 2014 in East Asia was a year of growing risks to security that could lead to serious unforeseen incidents or armed confrontations," said the latest annual report from the National Institute for Defence Studies (NIDS).