(Photo/Xinhua)

During the office of former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the U.S. forces worked out a four-phase operation plan for Diaoyu Islands in 2012, according to a report by Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun on Sunday.

According to the report, the two countries reached consensus that the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan can be applied to the Diaoyu Islands during the Defense Chiefs' meeting in September 2012. Meanwhile, both of the two countries started to work out an operation plan for the islands. The plan was worked out by the Defense Ministry of Japan and officers from the Headquarters U.S. Forces Japan. The plan did not directly mention China and the Diaoyu islands but used marks that are both used by the U.S. and Japan.

The operation plan assumed that armed forces dressed up as fishermen land on and capture the Diaoyu Islands and then the U.S. and Japan fight together for the islands in four phases: firstly, in order to prevent enemy getting on the islands, the two countries will enhance alert by deploying ships and planes; secondly, after small group of the enemy armed forces land on the islands, the two countries will prevent reinforcements from getting close and cut all reinforces; thirdly, the two countries will launch general offensive to the enemies on the islands by gunfire and air attack and fourth, the two countries will get on the islands and regain it. According to the treaty, JSDF will take main action while the U.S. Forces will assist Japanese forces.

The report said that this plan had been signed by the top leaders of both JSDF and the U.S. Forces and had been reported to Japanese Prime Minister by Defense Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Japanese government has not disclosed this plan as it remains the top secret in Japan. However, the plan did not take effect as the Democratic Party lost its power in 2012.

Both Defense Chiefs in Japan and the U.S. began to work out a joint operation plan after meetings in November 2015. The Japanese newspaper cited an official from Defense Ministry that the 2012 operation plan is the basis of the one for 2015. The official also said that the new operation plan is set for Chinese attacks.

China has reiterated that the Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islets have been an inherent part of Chinese territory since ancient times.