TOKYO, Japan (UPDATED) — For the first time, a Chinese aircraft carrier navigated the waters between two Japanese islands near Taiwan, according to Japan’s military on Wednesday. The move marks the latest in a series of actions by Beijing that have raised tensions with the U.S. ally.
This event marked the first time a Chinese carrier, accompanied by two destroyers, entered Japan’s contiguous zone, an area extending 24 nautical miles from its coast.
“This incident is totally unacceptable from the perspective of the security environment of Japan and the region, and we have expressed our serious concerns to the Chinese side through diplomatic channels,” Japanese government spokesperson Hiroshi Moriya stated.
China, however, insisted that the passage adhered to international law, coming less than a month after a confirmed incursion into Japanese airspace by a Chinese surveillance aircraft.
Japan’s defense ministry reported that the Liaoning carrier, along with two Luyang III-class missile destroyers, sailed southward between Yonaguni and Iriomote islands on Tuesday and Wednesday. These islands are near the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, referred to as the Diaoyus by Beijing.
Taiwan’s government also confirmed that a Chinese naval formation led by the Liaoning carrier passed through waters northeast of Taiwan and continued toward Yonaguni.
Under international maritime law, contiguous waters form a 12-nautical-mile band beyond a nation’s territorial waters where the state can exercise limited control.
China’s expanding military presence and assertive stance in territorial disputes, particularly with the Philippines, have raised concerns among the United States and its allies.
Japan has reported increased activity by Chinese coast guard vessels, naval ships, and a nuclear-powered submarine around the remote Senkaku Islands. In August, Japan scrambled fighter jets following the first confirmed incursion by a Chinese military aircraft into its airspace, calling it a “serious violation” of its sovereignty.
With U.S. support, Japan is boosting its defense capabilities, including acquiring counter-strike abilities and easing arms export restrictions. Japan is also supplying patrol vessels and other equipment to regional allies. In July, Tokyo and Manila reached an agreement allowing troop deployments on each other’s soil.
Japan’s defense ministry also noted that last week, Japan scrambled fighter jets when Russian aircraft flew around the archipelago for the first time in five years. Although the Russian Tu-142 planes did not enter Japanese airspace, they flew over an area disputed between Japan and Russia.
In a related development, Russian and Chinese warships conducted joint drills in the Sea of Japan this month, marking what President Vladimir Putin described as the largest naval exercise in three decades. Japan’s defense ministry observed five Chinese naval vessels entering the Sea of Japan, likely en route to participate in these maneuvers.