Japan destroyer inadvertently entered China waters; captain sacked

Japan has told China that a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer that sailed into Chinese territorial waters in July despite repeated warnings by Chinese vessels did so inadvertently, diplomatic sources said Sunday, adding that the captain has been replaced for what was viewed as a serious error.

Thank you for letting us know; however, the air carrier that sailed last week into your waters was not inadvertent and the captain will not be sacked.

Okay, inadvertently despite repeated warnings, but an acceptable apology.

Why sack such a valuable asset, warn and discipline should have been the proper action.

If it was the other way round he would have been given a medal.

Rules based order, according to Kishida. Captain didn't follow the rules... So sack him!

I wonder how many Japanese know that they are paying for Japanese SDF assets to loiter off the coast of Zhejiang, China 1,000+ KM from the Japanese home islands at the obvious behest of the USA 7th Fleet command.

I wonder how many chinese realize their government is leading them into WWIII.

Yoji Koda (call sign Yoda), former commander in chief of the Self-Defense Fleet, the main force of the MSDF, attributed the low skill levels among MSDF officers in the incident to a lack of training amid increased missions to guard against Chinese military activities in the East China Sea. He emphasized, "Do or not do. There is no try."

A Japanese naval vessel violates Chinese territorial waters and somehow the responsibility for a possible WW3 is China. That certainly is "interesting" logic.

Were the instruments on the battleship interfered with by Chinese signals? I am a sailor and my experience on the seas around Japan tells me that the MSDF and the JCG  海上保安庁 have excellent skills and discipline. In fact, in 2013 when i sailed past the Goto Retto i met a typhoon and my engine compartment was flooded and i used my wireless system to call for help. The JCG got my pan-pan signal and came to my rescue. I spoke to them in English and they were absolutely professional. They started out from Sasebo and reached me in two hours and towed me for about another two hours to a tiny fishing port -- normally a closed port to foreign boats, parked and tied my boat tight and safe against the winds, and allowed me to wait out the typhoon and do repairs. Great hospitality from the locals too, i must add. So i doubt if the MSDF boat wasn't deliberately misled into Chinese waters for the Chinese to score a diplomatic point or even worse.

@deanzaZZR 9.49am

"at the obvious behest of the.....'

And the proof of your assertion is where?

A Japanese naval vessel violates Chinese territorial waters and somehow the responsibility for a possible WW3 is China. That certainly is "interesting" logic.

Its the plank in their own eyes

So i doubt if the MSDF boat wasn't deliberately misled into Chinese waters for the Chinese to score a diplomatic point or even worse.

Anecdotal and the evidence dues not support the conclusion: “so I doubt.”

deanzaZZRToday 11:30 am JST

A Japanese naval vessel violates Chinese territorial waters and somehow the responsibility for a possible WW3 is China.

No, the Chinese rogue Coast Guard assaulting vessels in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait are the method by which China is starting WW3.

The bigger question is what is a "Self Defense Force" ship doing a thousand KM from the Japanese home islands.

That the captain is incompetent and refused to leave Chinese territorial waters after multiple warnings does not reflect well on the professionalism of the SDF.

It's ironic, because that's how Chinese captains get promoted!

So it’s fine for China to enter Japanese and Philippine territorial waters, but not the other way around?

That the captain is incompetent and refused to leave Chinese territorial waters after multiple warnings does not reflect well on the professionalism of the SDF.

And the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese Military show better professionalism?

I wonder how many nations in the South China Seas would laugh at your observation.

Tokyo maintains the Suzutsuki's entry into Chinese territorial waters was lawful, invoking the right to innocent passage under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Oh, I see.

So, the Chinese carrier group which was in contiguous waters was clearly lawful.

Entering Japanese territorial waters is also lawful if one invokes the right to innocent passage too then.

How convenient.

I wonder how you would detect the multiple warnings from the Chinese side from the constant background screeching.

This incident shows the difference between Japan and China militaries. Japanese commander sails in Chinese waters, in error, and gets relieved for it. Chinese navy vessels sail inside Japanese waters at the order of their military and likely get medals for doing so.

So it’s fine for China to enter Japanese and Philippine territorial waters, but not the other way around?

Here is the difference. If the JMSDF is like the US Navy, and in my experience with them they are, then their operating units have standing orders not to violate foreign territorial waters. A properly trained bridge watch should have the tools and training to know their location precisely at all times underway and never stray into foreign territorial waters. It is the responsibility of that commanding officer to ensure this happens. That this ship did demonstrates the commanding officer of the destroyer didn't do his job. As a result the commander officer is removed. Old saying in the US Navy applies, "one awshit cancels all attaboys". Doesn't matter how accomplished you are, when you screw up like that you're career is over.

There are occasions where a government directs its ships to enter another nation's territorial seas and in such cases the commanding officer has not erred by followed his orders. That is what you see with the Chinese Coast Guard and PLAN in the South China Sea. They are doing what their senior leadership tells them and are probably getting promoted for their actions. If the JMSDF commanding officer was under orders to enter Chinese waters for some reason there would be no grounds to remove him from his ship. For the most part western and western allied navies do not deliberately violate other nation's territorial waters but there are times when those navies deliberately sail through waters the west claims to be open to all nations while other nations claim them as theirs. Example the Taiwan Strait. The commanding officers of those ships get letters of commendation, not demoted, because they did their job.

Let's be very clear. The Chinese aircraft carrier did not sail into Japan's territorial waters. Full stop. The carrier and its escorts remained in international waters at all times. There was no violation of Japan's sovereignty so get over it. What the Chinese did is no different than the US or Canadian or German navies sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait. International waters are exactly that.

Desert TortoiseToday 01:26 am JST

The Japanese ship was also there observing an exercise by China. Perhaps even invited by China?

My instinct is that the Captain did it intentionally. The question is where that intention originated - from himself, an intermediate higher up, or even the bureaucracy. Anyway, the Japanese State chose to, while insisting on the general legality of such entries under the innocent passage clause, not back their Captain.

If that's so, can't help but feel sorry for him being used as a pawn.

@WA4TKG: wonder how many chinese realize their government is leading them into WWIII.

NO! NO! China is not being that Israeli government who is daily pushing the region and the world to WW3. The US government is enabling all of these by sending arms to IDF for attackings in Gaza,West bank and Lebanon. So the Americans has partly responsible for pushing a worldwide conflict.

The People's Republic of China is very peaceful, our airforce just stalking behind US spy planes spying at our coastal cities but we never send spy planes on or near US soil. How generous friendly is the Chinese being to America deserve your gratitudes !

elephant200Today 02:54 pm JST

The People's Republic of China is very peaceful, our airforce just stalking behind US spy planes spying at our coastal cities but we never send spy planes on or near US soil.

Right, you just send balloons, students, and spyware.

TaiwanIsNotChina Today  03:08 pm JST

elephant200Today 02:54 pm JST

The People's Republic of China is very peaceful, our airforce just stalking behind US spy planes spying at our coastal cities but we never send spy planes on or near US soil.

Right, you just send balloons, students, and spyware.

correct!

China uses spy houses and secret chemical labs in the States. Ya know, real sneaky like.