Japan has expressed “strong concern and protest” after a Chinese naval ship entered its territorial waters on Saturday. The incident occurred near the southern Kuchinoerabu island at around 6:00 am local time (2100 GMT Friday). The Chinese vessel entered Japanese waters and exited southwest of Yakushima island nearly two hours later, according to the Japanese defense ministry.
This latest incident follows a similar event on Monday when a Chinese Y-9 surveillance aircraft entered Japanese airspace for two minutes off the Danjo Islands in the East China Sea. Tokyo condemned this as a “serious violation” of its sovereignty, scrambling fighter jets in response.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry, in its protest to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, cited the recent intrusion into Japanese airspace by a Chinese military plane as well as “past activities of Chinese naval vessels and others in the waters around Japan.”
China’s growing economic and military influence in the Asia-Pacific region, coupled with its assertiveness in territorial disputes, has raised concerns among the United States and its allies. This recent escalation of tensions between Japan and China highlights the ongoing geopolitical complexities in the region.
Last week, Japan’s defense ministry requested a record 8.5 trillion yen ($59 billion) for the next fiscal year as part of its five-year, 43 trillion yen defense buildup plan through March 2028. This request includes funding for “standoff capabilities” to strike distant targets with missiles and unmanned vehicles. The request, although higher than the previous year’s initial budget request, is still less than the actual budget approved for the current fiscal year.
