China on Monday urged Japan not to disrupt peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait following revelations over the weekend that a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer sailed through the area in February.
"We firmly oppose any country's act of provocation under the pretext of freedom of navigation that threatens China's sovereignty and security," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press conference, demanding that Tokyo "act prudently on the Taiwan question."
In a challenge to China's military assertiveness in the area, the destroyer Akizuki navigated the waterway between China and Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing, after taking part in a joint drill on Feb. 5 with U.S., Australian and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, a Japanese government source said.
The vessel's passage through the strait came after MSDF destroyer Sazanami sailed in the narrow sea channel along with Australian and New Zealand vessels in September, the first known such navigation by a Japanese defense ship.
© KYODO
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TaiwanIsNotChina
Hilarious stuff. Promoting free passage through international waters is promoting peace.
Albert
China is doing worse. They are like those bullies who got bullied and cry.
China stop invasion Territorial waters near Vietnam, Japan, Philippines.
WiseOneIn Kansai
China getting it's knickers in a twist!!
So it's not okay for Japan to pass through the international waters of the Taiwan Strait but it's okay for China to enter the territorial waters of Japan around the Senkaku Islands.
Japan doesn't even protest when the Chinese navy routinely passes through the international waters of the Miyako Strait since 2020.
If China wants respect, it has to earn it!!
Wasabi
Normal, China is looking at trump inaction and take advantage as much as possible. Where will it end?
theFu
The Taiwan Strait is 70 nmi at the thinnest point. 12mile limit on each side means there are at least 46 nmi of international waters for any ships/aircraft to pass legally. That's Russian, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, US, Australian, UK, Brazilian, Cuban and all the other countries that want to pass through there can do so by international treaty. Private vessels or military - doesn't matter.
China signed The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) the treaty in 1982. The CCP celebrated the 40th year of this treaty in 2022. So, China is being inconsistent every time they complain about almost anything in the Strait. Seems childish to the rest of the world.
DeeZee
Japanese ships are sitting ducks for PLA DF-17 missiles. China could easily destroy Japan's whole navy within a few days if it wanted to.
TokyoLiving
In other words, stop being the favorite pet of good old US in far east..
WA4TKG
And the US could obliterate the entire country of china in minutes….then who wins?
You know what would happen next.
isabelle
China again having trouble understanding that it's international law that applies in the real world, not Xi Jinping Thought.