Signals are stacking up in the Western Pacific, from China's reference to the "Ryukyu people" to China-Russia joint air patrols. On the surface, nothing appears explosive. But Japan's political moves, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, are turning quiet tensions into a high-stakes gamble.

CGTN's digital reporter Yang Xinmeng breaks down what's really happening in the East China Sea and why the waters that once seemed calm are now rippling.