Japan detects suspected Chinese submarine near southern island

Neither the submarine or the ship entered Japanese territorial water. Under international law, submarines passing off the coast of another country are required to surface and show a national flag inside territorial waters.

Poorly written. The requirement to surface only applies to submarines within another country's territorial waters (12 nautical miles in most cases), not to all submarines passing somewhere 'off the coast'. If the submarine didn't enter Japanese territorial waters, there's not much drama here.

Russia does the same worldwide.

So does the US and just about every other country that has submarines as well. Why point out the Russians only? Stirring the pot perhaps?

Japan leads the world in ASW capabilities. It is highly unlikely that that Chinese can transit the island chains undetected.

-Neither the submarine or the ship entered Japanese territorial water.

So why stir up nationalist sentiment by publishing the article? The coming election perhaps?

"Why mention all this if no proof of entering national waters.

Just to please right wing extremists."

Nope; it's only to remind the Chinese of what the Japanese underwater detecting capabilities are.

There's a reason why the Americans (of all people) entrusted the Japanese navy with surveillance of Soviet Submarine activity during the Cold War.

Americans didn't trust any other ally but the Japanese navy to do that.

I am sure the Americans knew/know why.

No harm, no foul! In international waters, so there is nothing here other than scare tactics!

So why stir up nationalist sentiment by publishing the article? The coming election perhaps?

You think posting an article like this here is going to make any difference in the elections? Dont be naive, it wasnt even mentioned in any news on Japanese TV, as it is a non issue really.

Fascinating stuff. China is the only country with submarines lurking around the oceans, right?

M3M3M3Today  07:17 am JST

Neither the submarine or the ship entered Japanese territorial water. Under international law, submarines passing off the coast of another country are required to surface and show a national flag inside territorial waters.

Poorly written. The requirement to surface only applies to submarines within another country's territorial waters (12 nautical miles in most cases), not to all submarines passing somewhere 'off the coast'. If the submarine didn't enter Japanese territorial waters, there's not much drama here.

Hard to see what point you are trying to make here. Your quote from the article says that neither vessel entered Japanese territorial waters. Surfacing and raising a flag when passing off the coast is qualified by the words "inside territorial waters", what's difficult to understand about that?

The whole report is a waste of screen space as China were well within their rights.

Fighto

Have you ever been to Okinawa!

Theres tens of thousands of US and Japan’s armed forces there.

They are armed to the teeth against China, and rightfully so.

@thepersoniamnow

I agree with you. The US disengaging from a losing battle makes it stronger and not weaker, but the Middle East is also in Asia.

Bob Macaroni

It makes no sense for China to engage in war with the Western powers. Everyone would lose...

They are already engage in a war, on many levels: economic, psychological. diplomatic, criminal etc etc.

This depends on your definition. "War" is not restricted to shooting guns.

There is only one way to deal with a power hungry narcissistic bully.

And if you are not willing to deal with them in the only way that works, then just accept the fact that you are submissive to a greater power and learn to kowtow and flatter.

You don't honestly think Japan's that on the ball -get real !

I've seen many European navies and the JMSDF up close and personal, including the French, British and German. The JMSDF is better trained and better equipped, their equipment better maintained. As I said earlier, the JMSDF is about the best ASW navy there is. ASW is what they do best and they do it better than the Russians or Chinese by far, or the French or British for that matter.

If a Chinese sub enters Japanese waters submerged simply sink it. No questions asked. Oooops!

No need to sink the commie sub. All that the JMSDF needs to do is shadow it and record it's acoustic signature...to help sink it when the time is right.

China has so much of land area but still it is troubling its neighboring countries Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and so on.

Creating virus, troubling whole world.. world needs to come together..

Michael Machida

Under international law, submarines passing off the coast of another country are required to surface and show a national flag inside territorial waters.

Interesting.

So, China is testing the waters.

Yep, continuous pinprick escalation. Check also the almost daily intrusion into Taiwan airspace.

Russia does the same worldwide.

No it does not. Try to do without media talking points.

The headline to this story should read something like "Japan chose to announce that it detected a submarine..." Japan detects and tracks numerous submarines and underwater drones on a continuous basis. In conjunction with the US the ocean around Japan and nearby oceans are wired with all sorts of systems to detect ocean traffic below, on, and above the surface. China being a newcomer, is not up to speed yet in this area. We can assume they are working on it.

Albert Philippo

The USA has become weak as of Jan 2021? Is that your analysis?

Being Japanese I am glad that the US is pulling out of the Middle East and pivoting to Asia.

Theres a reason they are abandoning the Middle East.

So there may or may not be a sub and if there is, it may or may not be Chinese.

Fascinating stuff. China is the only country with submarines lurking around the oceans, right?

Submarine activity has increased worldwide, especially in the waters of Europe and Asia.

Fighto!Today 12:33 pm JST

More aggressive behaviour ny the Communists. There is no doubt they are eyeing those southern island chains to build more of their military bases. Okinawa is on their agenda - make no mistake about that.

Further reason Japan has no oprion but to dramatically ramp up military spending. Two more Carriers and 5 or 6 more anti-submarine destroyers would be a bare minimum. More bases are needed in Southern Japan, and a huge military recruitment drive will be needed in the colleges and universities.

Most dangerous times we live in since 1945.

Despite your invective, it makes no sense for China to engage in war with the Western powers. Everyone would lose...

You guys don't have a clue! China is testing Japans military capabilities. What they are doing is trying to see how far they can go undetected with their military equipment and to test what kind of radar capabilities Japan has and develop counter measures against it.

Why mention all this if no proof of entering national waters.

Why? To let the PLAN know the JMSDF was able to track one of their subs successfully.

Despite your invective, it makes no sense for China to engage in war with the Western powers. Everyone would lose...

The Chinese don't necessarily see the world they inhabit that way. They think if they can score a quick victory and grab a Japanese island or maybe Taiwan and do so fast, they present the world with a fait accompli and nobody will have the nerve to attack them or retaliate economically. You need to start seeing the world as the Chinese see it, not how westerners see it. That is a mistake that will cost the west greatly. China doesn't want a destructive total war with the US, but if they can nail some land fast enough they think the US would not risk nuclear war with them to take it back, mutual defense treaties notwithstanding. Same thing for Taiwan. They may be badly misjudging the US on this but that is how the Chinese see their world.

You guys don't have a clue! China is testing Japans military capabilities. What they are doing is trying to see how far they can go undetected with their military equipment and to test what kind of radar capabilities Japan has and develop counter measures against it.

JMSDF is, from my experience, one of the best ASW navies in the world, fully equal to the US Navy in every way. This time China sent a DDG along with their sub. A number of years ago the PLAN sent a sub unescorted near Okinawa and two JMSDF destroyers sat on it for 48 hours hammering it with sonar from both the ships and from helicopters. Believe me the crew of that sub got no sleep because they can hear the sonar loudly inside the sub. It is humiliating for a sub to be essentially pinned down like that for so long unable to sneak away from surface units. In a hot war that sub would have been sunk. Instead they had to suffer 48 hours of uncomfortable sounds. Now the PLAN feels they have to escort their subs with a skimmer (surface ship). Kinda sad really.

kaimycahlToday  09:18 pm JST

You guys don't have a clue! China is testing Japans military capabilities. What they are doing is trying to see how far they can go undetected with their military equipment and to test what kind of radar capabilities Japan has and develop counter measures against it.

Fascinating. Sorry that we're all clueless.

Can you tell us more about this radar for detecting submarines?

The french sub was tracking it the whole time thats why.

You don't honestly think Japan's that on the ball -get real !

Japan's too slow to respond and needs to be told what to do,Its quite pathetic and ridiculous and weak in my opinion.

As for the French navy well -For those that know Japan's naval origin history iam sure you understand.

Japan needs to rise up and get tough !

Tired of their whining about their dumb territorial issues .

And we're supposed to believe Japan will defend Taiwan .

What all these fuss about???

I do understand your point (we metaphorically use the term war to refer to things other than war), but I was talking about a hot war (a literal war), which I think was pretty clear. We define war as an intense armed conflict between different groups either from different countries or within countries. Therefore, in reply to your message, war is restricted to "shooting guns".

WilliBToday 02:28 pm JST

Bob Macaroni

It makes no sense for China to engage in war with the Western powers. Everyone would lose...

They are already engage in a war, on many levels: economic, psychological. diplomatic, criminal etc etc.

This depends on your definition. "War" is not restricted to shooting guns.

0( +0 / -0 )

A regular School for the Gifted, it seems.

Neither the submarine or the ship entered Japanese territorial water.

Neither the submarine or the ship entered Japanese territorial water. Under international law, submarines passing off the coast of another country are required to surface and show a national flag inside territorial waters.

So this is a non story or rather just another example of anti China propaganda put out on daily basis.

... about 700 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of the disputed East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but also claimed by Beijing, the ministry said.

700km! Does the defense minister Kishi know how far that is? These islands are only 200km from Taipei and Taiwan also claim them. Are we to be told every time a Taiwanese military vessel goes within 700 km?

Whoever becomes PM had better get rid of the troubllemaker Kishi as soon as possible.

So this is a non story or rather just another example of anti China propaganda put out on daily basis.

to justify more defense spending on the brink of breaking 1%.

Under international law, submarines passing off the coast of another country are required to surface and show a national flag inside territorial waters.

Interesting.

So, China is testing the waters.

Russia does the same worldwide.

I think there needs to be a warning shot across the horizon to warn these actors that you all just need to stand down.

Or, The USA will act with regional players in Asia to end this cat and mouse game.

governmentS, via the Meeja, are really ramping up the old China-Paranoia-Response lately.... wonder what it is they want to distract people from.....

Now that America has become weak since January 2021, I guess we will see more of this and most likely North Korea shooting missiles over Japan again.

More aggressive behaviour ny the Communists. There is no doubt they are eyeing those southern island chains to build more of their military bases. Okinawa is on their agenda - make no mistake about that.

Further reason Japan has no oprion but to dramatically ramp up military spending. Two more Carriers and 5 or 6 more anti-submarine destroyers would be a bare minimum. More bases are needed in Southern Japan, and a huge military recruitment drive will be needed in the colleges and universities.

Most dangerous times we live in since 1945.

Why mention all this if no proof of entering national waters.

Just to please right wing extremists.

Covid 19 is killing too many in Japan, Chinese ships have never made any act of war against Japan during the last decades.

Please acknowledge that.

It is also a means to spend more on war equipment from the taxpayers.