Chinese naval fleet ventures into area adjacent to Japan’s most easterly isle for first occasion | Japan

A Chinese aircraft carrier group entered Japan’s territorial waters for the first time, raising concerns in Tokyo about China’s expanding naval presence. The group, consisting of the Liaoning carrier, two missile destroyers, and a supply ship, entered Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Saturday evening before exiting to conduct military drills. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated that the government had conveyed an appropriate message to the Chinese side without indicating whether a formal protest would be lodged. Hayashi also mentioned the government’s commitment to fulfilling its warning and surveillance duties at sea and in the air. Japan’s Defence Ministry announced that the carrier group’s entry into the Pacific waters about 300km south-west of Minamitori island would worsen concerns in Tokyo and Washington about China’s increasingly assertive naval and air activity. This incursion into Japan’s EEZ, particularly the area within 200 nautical miles (370km) of its coastline, marks the first instance of a Chinese vessel entering this area.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/chinese-aircraft-carrier-japan-exclusive-economic-zone-waters