Japan lodges protest after Chinese live-fire drill in its EEZ

Japan has formally protested to China after a Chinese destroyer conducted live-fire exercises within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near the disputed Okinotori island during joint naval drills with Russia, marking the first time Tokyo has publicly acknowledged such an incident Source: lavanguardia. The exercise occurred early Sunday about 180 kilometers southwest of Okinotori, involving four vessels: two Chinese destroyers (Renhai and Luyang III class), a supply ship, and a Russian Steregushchiy-class frigate Source: infobae.

Reactions

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed the protest, stating that the activity "could represent a danger for the navigation of vessels transiting the area" Source: infobae. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, currently in Europe, called the joint maneuvers "another manifestation of the growing military cooperation between China and Russia" Source: infobae. A Japanese defense spokesperson noted that while the exercise did not violate international law, it was the first time Tokyo publicly disclosed such an event Source: lavanguardia.

The Okinotori dispute

The incident highlights the ongoing territorial dispute over Okinotori: Japan claims it is an island entitled to an EEZ, while China insists it is an uninhabitable rock with no such rights Source: lavanguardia. The drill further strains bilateral relations already tense over Taiwan and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments on potential intervention in a Taiwan conflict Source: infobae. China has not immediately responded to Japan's protest. Japan deployed a destroyer to monitor the situation after the drill .