A Chinese aircraft carrier entered Japan's contiguous waters for the first time on Wednesday, Japan's defense ministry said, the latest in a string of military maneuvers that has ratcheted up tensions between the neighbors.
The carrier, accompanied by two destroyers, sailed between Japan's southern Yonaguni and Iriomote islands, entering an area that extends up to 24 nautical miles from its coastline where Japan can exert some controls as defined by the United Nations.
Japan last month lodged a protest with China after one of its naval survey vessels entered Japanese waters, shortly after an airspace breach. In July, a Japanese navy destroyer made a rare entry into China's territorial waters near Taiwan, according to the Japanese media.
An uptick in Chinese military activity near Japan and around Taiwan in recent years has stoked concerns in Tokyo. Japan has responded with a defense buildup it says aims to deter Beijing from using military force to push its territorial claims in the region.
Earlier on Wednesday, Taiwan's defense ministry said it had spotted the same Chinese aircraft carrier group sailing through waters off its east coast in the direction of Yonaguni, Japan's southernmost island, which is about 110 km east of Taiwan.
China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its territory, has been staging regular exercises around the island for five years to pressure it to accept Beijing's claim of sovereignty, despite Taipei's strong objections.
The ministry said the Chinese ships, led by Liaoning, the oldest of China's three aircraft carriers, were spotted in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday sailing through waters to the northeast of Taiwan.
Taiwan tracked the ships and sent its forces to monitor, it said. China's defense ministry did not answer calls seeking comment.
© Thomson Reuters 2024.
60 Comments
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Christopher
Here we go China dipping its big toe in the pool.
ian
China doing freedom of navigation exercise of its own.
Clearly ramping up pressure
TaiwanIsNotChina
Grounds enough for stopping them for customs inspections. Might have to involve your own destroyers.
TaiwanIsNotChina
And Japan can exercise its right of customs inspections. With live rounds if needed.
If by that you mean angling for war, yes that is what China is doing.
ian
Lol grounds for stopping? Hahajaha
TaiwanIsNotChina
Contiguous zone involves fewer rights for the free navigators.
ian
Hahahahaha
WiseOneIn Kansai
This is one of the reasons China lacks respect around the world.
You mold your own image❗
Cephus
"Japan says Chinese aircraft carrier entered its contiguous waters for first time."
The Chinese knows very well Joe/Kamala is all talk, and no game.
John
And this is why the U.S. is putting anti-ship missiles on every islet in the region in interlocking fields of fire.
Small. Relatively cheap. Very effective. Very difficult to suppress.
NCIS Reruns
You nailed it, John. If a war breaks out, keeping China's navy bottled up is going to be easy.
ian
Doesn't the US do this far more frequently?
2 Year Old
A torpedo in the stern would send the appropriate message… and then do what China does, deny everything.
quercetum
In July, a Japanese navy destroyer made a rare entry into China's territorial waters near Taiwan, according to the Japanese media.
Nothing here. This is normal fir Japan and China.
JJE
A clearcut case of Freedom of Navigation.
Look at how quickly certain quarters resort to pumping smoke through a transparent trumpet.
Shocking double standards.
quercetum
The U.S. is tired of waiting on war in the Taiwan Straights and seems to have finally realized that the Taiwanese are not planning to declare Independence anytime soon and risk war.
They are after all Chinese and they have that Chinese thinking and mindset on what damages war can wreak.
So the US went goading the Philippines to poke China but unfortunately that's backfiring as well. The army and business community are against any escalation against China.
So nothing is happening in the Philippines. Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines all are not biting. Perhaps Japan?
quercetum
There is a prediction as the US descend into chaos post election it would be a good time for the PLA to take Taiwan, but it is not my opinion. This is what the some Taiwanese are fearing.
I believe Xi will not take action against Taiwan but continue to fight the economic war with US under Trump as the second term President who’ll weaponize the U.S. consumer market against China by placing more tariffs thereby driving up prices higher for Americans.
piskian
Quick!
Paddle out and sell them some local produce,boost our economy.
Win win.
John
In fact, this is the reason that the USMC completely reorganized, jettisoned all its armor (which I questioned at the time) and has become a mobile, self-sustaining, highly lethal amphibious force.
If the CCP gets its gumption up, they will do to the PLN what the Mossad just did to Hezbollah.
John
Add in some Virginia class subs and China’s blockade/invasion becomes the “million man swim”, lol.
deanzaZZR
The contiguous zone? Sounds more like the Danger Zone, amiright?
SECTION 4. CONTIGUOUS ZONE
Article 33
Contiguous zone
In a zone contiguous to its territorial sea, described as the contiguouszone, the coastal State may exercise the control necessary to:
(a) prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or
sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial
sea;
(b) punish infringement of the above laws and regulations
committed within its territory or territorial sea.
The contiguous zone may not extend beyond 24 nautical miles fromthe baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.
UNCLOS, crying reminiscent of Marcos, cheered on by Blinken.
Mr Kipling
Sauce for the goose?
TokyoLiving
As the good world pirates they are..
TaiwanIsNotChina
And still claimed to be supported by hypocrite China.
TaiwanIsNotChina
And a customs action would be a clearcut case of enforcing UNCLOS rights.
The double standard is that this is the first country to do this nonsense and the wumaos tell us it is just business as usual.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Territorial waters doesn't mean anything. Contiguous zone does. Not normal but a push for war.
Did the US Navy send the ships off course?
The US Navy doesn't take a break for the election and has no other obligations except in the ME. Please do try your luck.
evian1
make it a regular visit including Diaoyu islands.
elephant200
That was international waters, China is practicing freedom of navigation!
TaiwanIsNotChina
"International waters" that Japan is well within its rights enforcing some customs actions on ships of their choice.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Absolutely not as if it were contiguous zone China would have raised hell. Now that China has made this the new normal, though, Japan should follow up with some contiguous zone explorations.
JJE
The simple facts:
A Japanese destroyer entered undisputed Chinese waters back in July.
The event in this article was not in territorial waters by any measure.
And the rules of Freedom of Navigation and innocent passage, which the US and its vassals preach like a gospel that belongs to them, and them only, also apply to this legal passage.
Tokyo has no right to molest flagged vessels in an alleged contiguous zone exercising the above.
Facts and reason won't stop the smoke pumping. Nor will they permit to factually observe Tokyo did not make this usual diplomatic protest because it has no foundation to. Because it understands the previous basic facts, unlike certain quarters.
JJE
Also very relevant to observe these ships were in the territorial waters of no UN-recognized state at any point during their voyage, except their own.
JJE
There you go again:
Despite admitting an error, it is compounded yet again by conflating territorial waters with contiguous waters.
The former was grossly violated back in July by a Japanese destroyer.
The latter is what these flagged vessels used for Freedom of Navigation and constitutes innocent passage.
And again, during this legal navigation by flagged vessels, at no time were the territorial waters of any UN-recognized state violated in any way, shape or form.
When will it sink in... makes one wonder.
TaiwanIsNotChina
That's because any term involving "waters" is meaningless. China was in the the contiguous zone and therefore subject to stopping.
Japan remains UN recognized six ways from Sunday.
When futile attempts to obfuscate cut and dry issues end one supposes.
JJE
Completely false.
Certain quarters seem to be having issues with digesting the fact that Freedom of Navigation and innocent passage (and transit passage) apply here.
Flagged vessels have every right navigate through there. It is not territorial waters.
Don't hold your breath while this logic is processed.
JJE
No one is disputing Japan has UN-recognition.
The territorial waters of no-UN recognized state were violated. This includes Japan.
The gaps between many of their islands are not all territorial and are subject to transit passage rights six ways from Sunday.
Not subject to stopping a flagged vessel on a freedom of navigation exercise.
Can't be that hard to understand... or can it.
TokyoLiving
And three more Chinese aircraft carriers coming..
For now..
Taiwan's reaction reading this..
https://media1.tenor.com/m/lirAMlHkR5YAAAAC/tantrum-throwing-a-fit.gif
LOOOOOL
TaiwanIsNotChina
The article clearly says the contiguous zone was violated.
Indeed seems very difficult to for some to acknowledge facts.
JJE
No, the article doesn't say that.
It says an aircraft carrier has entered Japan's contiguous waters for the first time.
I.E. other vessels have entered before, as they are entitled to do under Freedom of Navigation, innocent passage and transit passage.
The gaps between these and other islands are not territorial waters.
In fact, they constitute an international strait between two seas, the East China Sea and Philippine Sea.
You seem to be claiming that Japan has the right to stop/blockade like the Houthis seek to do.
These are the facts of the matter. Non-territorial waters that constitute an international passageway.
What type of waters do you think that Japanese destroyer was patrolling in July before it entered China territorial waters? Have a wild guess pal.
We know you are having a hard time today.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Doesn't really matter whether they have before or not.
And Japan is entitled to some innocent customs inspection as the article states.
Indeed someone is having a hard time today, posting again and again that transit is allowed when that is not the issue.
JJE
Speaks volumes the relevant question was sidestepped. Here it is again:
What type of waters do you think that Japanese destroyer was patrolling in July before it entered China territorial waters?
Please answer this simple question.
Japan has no right to stop or board flagged vessels of another country's navy in contiguous waters. None whatsoever.
Transit is allowed. They are not Japan's territorial waters!
They don't even have a right to complain through diplomatic channels. Any such complaint will go into the receptacle where it belongs.
JJE
The article makes absolutely zero mention of customs inspections. None whatsoever.
Moreover, it doesn't mention using 'live rounds' to enable such an act it didn't mention.
Wrong on multiple counts here, and that is not counting falsely asserting what the article says.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Absolutely does
Absolutely wrong
Commentators will just keep pushing and pushing irrelevant questions in an attempt to muddy the waters but I can keep clearing it up for them as long as is necessary.
JJE
Confusing the limited right to enforce fishing rules and other civilian-like stuff is not to be conflated with a so-called 'armed customs inspection using live rounds' of flagged vessels of a UN-recognised country's navy, exercising Freedom of Navigation and transiting between bodies of water in what amounts to international waters.
Absurd stuff and indicative of too much smoke pumping.
The Japanese destroyer that breached China territorial waters in July: did it patrol in contiguous waters before and after the breach?
A simple Yes or No.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Irrelevant and already answered.
JJE
Oh, I see.
Japanese destroyers can transit/patrol in China's contiguous zone.
But not the other way around.
Plus, the Japanese side is entitled to do armed "customs inspections" on top of that.
But not the Chinese side. No sir, that's a big no-no.
And smoke pumpers reverse the right not to answer simple yes or no questions.
How convenient.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Only the Russian believes that an international law violation cancels all international law.
deanzaZZR
TINC has never met a losing argument he can't back away from. See internet troll in dictionary.
JJE
Typical evasiveness but all too typical of the ingrained double standards we've come to expect from certain quarters.
TaiwanIsNotChina
That's right, I don't repeat my mistakes like a Chomsky programmed bot.
Desert Tortoise
As long as the Chinese ships remain in international waters Japan can legally do nothing.
Desert Tortoise
The Contiguous Zone is defined by UNCLOS as waters 12 - 24 nautical miles from a nation's shoreline. Since a nation's territorial waters over which they exercise sovereignty end 12 nautical miles from shore, the Contiguous Zone is international waters. Ships of any nation may sail through the Contiguous Zone without restriction.
https://www.noaa.gov/maritime-zones-and-boundaries#contiguous
The Soviets kept one of their bigger intelligence gathering ships in the Contiguous Zone immediately off San Diego and our orders were to never fly over it or do anything that could be interpreted by the Soviets as harassment. We had no right to force it to leave. =
TaiwanIsNotChina
Yes but was that because of UNCLOS that there could be no customs inspections or the desire to not start a war over it?
Kazuaki Shimazaki
Let's be honest with each other. For one thing, warships have sovereign immunity. Second, you know there's no plausible case for a customs inspection. Customs is about controlling the flow of goods in and out of the country, and the Chinese carrier isn't being part of that.
TaiwanIsNotChina
I will defer only to Desert Tortoise about whether sovereign immunity applies. Certain countries seem to do all kinds of things to other countries' boats in areas outside of the contiguous zone.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Major consistency problems with the posters eager to claim international waters between Japan's islands but not in the South China Sea or Taiwan Strait.
konjo4u
Maybe the Chinese navy stopped using their walkie talkies and got lost.
theFu
Nobody wants war.
China isn't happy with the current, international, rules and locations of islands, countries, and sub-surface features, so they push rather than negotiate based on facts. They want to push a little more every week, so the people who disagree don't realize what's being lost all at once - like boiling a lobster or frog. Slowly, the heat gets turned up, the water gets hotter, and the lobster tastes great with a little butter.
The countries in the region need to work together to send a clear message. Not just "no more", but leave your toys on land that isn't yours AND go home.
I feel for Chinese people. They have lots and lots of mouths to feed. They need lots of resources since their own land has become toxic from miss use for chemical dumping. Eventually, they will need to be the largest country doing ecological clean up if they don't really want war or taking land from others. Resources of the world aren't unlimited. We all need to be better at leaving no trace behind and leaving an existing place cleaner than we found it.
Hopefully, these realizations happen before lots of people die.
Sven Asai
Well, when looking on the map, they chose the slightly more peaceful option, because the alternative would have been sailing very close to Taiwan. It's of course not good in general that they operate in these waters with a big carrier, so don't understand me wrong. But when it's isolated, about only this one route itself, I think they acted quite responsible. If it remains a very rare or single case, we should calm down, otherwise of course not, then strong action and responses will be required.
Desert Tortoise
What exactly is there to inspect? The ships were engaged in innocent passage. They were doing anything like fishing or exploring for oil that would allow Japan to inspect them. If the ships had come inside Japan's 12 nm territorial limit Japan may have been justified in stopping them, but even that is not clear cut as UNCLOS allows ships to make a straight line through a nation's territorial waters if it is the most direct route to another destination under the concept of "innocent passage".