Chinese naval drills near Japan cause concern and protests

2025-06-19 07:41:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

A Chinese naval exercise near Japan has raised concerns in Tokyo and sparked protests.

In recent weeks, China's two aircraft carriers, the Shandong and Liaoning, have conducted simultaneous exercises in the Pacific, in an unprecedented move.

Chinese fighter jets have made hundreds of takeoffs and landings from aircraft carriers. Some of them came close to Japanese surveillance planes, prompting Tokyo to convey its "serious concerns" to Beijing.

China has said its activities are in line with international law and has accused Japan of making "dangerous moves".

On Tuesday, the Japanese defense ministry released a map tracking the daily positions of Chinese aircraft carriers since May 25. Japan typically does not disclose details on the movements of foreign militaries.

It shows both carriers approaching the Japanese islands and occasionally sailing through Japan's exclusive economic zone.

An exclusive economic zone is an area beyond a country's territorial waters where that country has exclusive rights to explore and exploit marine resources, but other countries are allowed freedom of navigation through it.

The map also shows the Liaoning sailing beyond the "second island chain," a line of defense defined in U.S. foreign policy doctrine that connects Japan to Guam. This makes it the first Chinese aircraft carrier to do so, according to Japanese media.

Japan's Defense Ministry also said it had observed more than 500 landings and takeoffs of Chinese fighter jets and helicopters during the exercises.

On June 7, a Chinese fighter jet took off from Shandong and followed a Japanese surveillance plane for about 40 minutes, according to Tokyo. The next day, a Chinese fighter jet flew close to a Japanese plane for twice that time and passed in front of it.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said last week that they conveyed to Beijing their concern about these "abnormal approaches" which could cause accidental collisions.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that "their activities in relevant waters and airspace are in line with international law and international practices" and that the two countries were communicating through existing channels.

"Let me emphasize that it is Japan's close observation of ships and aircraft over China's normal military activities that has caused risks to maritime and air safety. China urges Japan to stop these dangerous movements," he said./ CNA