- The Liaoning carrier and two Luyang III-class missile destroyers sailed southwards.
- This marks the first time an aircraft carrier belonging to the Chinese Navy has been confirmed.
- Japan has been involved in tense incidents around disputed areas.
The defense ministry’s joint staff reported that the Liaoning carrier and two Luyang III-class missile destroyers sailed southwards between the islands of Yonaguni and Iriomote.
“This is the first time that an aircraft carrier belonging to the Chinese Navy has been confirmed to have sailed through the waters between Yonaguni and Iriomote,” a statement said.
Public broadcaster NHK and other media, citing unnamed defense sources, reported that a Chinese aircraft carrier entered Japan’s contiguous waters for the first time. Contiguous waters, defined by international maritime law, form a 12-nautical-mile band beyond territorial waters where a country can exert some control. The ministry has not yet confirmed the reports.
Taipei’s government reported that a Chinese naval formation, led by the Liaoning, sailed through waters northeast of self-ruled Taiwan on Wednesday, heading toward Japan’s Yonaguni Island. China's increasing economic and military influence in the Asia-Pacific region, along with its assertive stance in territorial disputes, most recently with the Philippines, has alarmed the United States and its allies.
Japanese and Chinese vessels have been involved in tense incidents around disputed areas, particularly the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, which Beijing calls the Diaoyus. Tokyo reported that Chinese coast guard vessels, a naval ship, and a nuclear-powered submarine have been present around the remote chain of islets.
In August, Japan scrambled fighter jets after confirming the first incursion by a Chinese military aircraft into its airspace, calling it a "serious violation" of its sovereignty. With US encouragement, Japan is increasing its defense spending, acquiring counter-strike capabilities, and easing restrictions on arms exports.
Tokyo is providing funding and equipment, including patrol vessels, to other countries in the region. In July, Japan signed a deal with the Philippines, allowing troop deployments on each other's soil. Last week, Japan scrambled fighter jets after Russian aircraft flew around the archipelago for the first time in five years.
Japan reported that the Tu-142 planes did not enter Japanese airspace but flew over an area subject to a territorial dispute between Japan and Russia. This month, Russian and Chinese warships conducted joint drills in the Sea of Japan as part of a major naval exercise that President Vladimir Putin described as the largest of its kind in thirty years. The Japanese defense ministry observed five Chinese naval ships entering the Sea of Japan, likely en route to the joint maneuvers.
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