The Chinese navy and Coast Guard were reportedly conducted a maritime blockade drill in a strategic waterway near a Japanese island, where the United States stationed its forces.
Why It Matters
The Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun said the drill was held in the Miyako Strait. It lies between two of the southwestern islands in Japan—Miyako and Okinawa—while serving as the maritime boundary of the Philippine Sea and the East China Sea.
The U.S. military deployed 54,000 personnel in Japan pursuant to the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security of 1960. Okinawa, a Japanese prefecture that covers two-thirds of the Southwest Islands, hosts more than half the U.S. forces in the country.
Both the waterway and the Southwest Islands form part of a north-south blockade known as the first island chain, a U.S. defense concept that seeks to leverage the territories of Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines to contain the Chinese military in the Pacific Ocean.
What To Know
On December 22 last year, three frigates and three Coast Guard ships from China transited the Miyako Strait westward from the Philippine Sea to the East China Sea, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Wednesday, which cited sources close to the Japanese government.
The Japanese military confirmed the movements of the Chinese warships in a bulletin the following day; however, it did not mention the presence of the Chinese Coast Guard in the strait. Newsweek has emailed the Chinese and Japanese defense ministries for comment.
The Yomiuri Shimbun said one of the Chinese Coast Guard vessels has a hull number of 2901, which is known as the "monster ship" due to a displacement of 12,000 tons, making it one of the world's two largest law-enforcement vessels, in addition to its sister ship.
This was the first time Japan confirmed that China's navy and Coast Guard ships carried out an operation in the Miyako Strait that suggested a maritime blockade, the report said.
The Chinese navy had a similar move with its Coast Guard counterpart as they held a joint navigation between Taiwan, a self-ruled island that is claimed by China as its territory, and Yonaguni Island, the westernmost island of Japan, in 2023. The two islands are 67 miles apart.
In the event of an invasion of Taiwan, China would deploy naval and Coast Guard ships to surround the island, preventing America's military intervention. The sailing in the Miyako Strait indicated the Chinese blockade area could be expanded to include nearby Japan's islands, the report added.
What People Are Saying
A source close to the Japanese government told The Yomiuri Shimbun: "This is an unusual move that indicates China's intention to impose a naval blockade."
Stephen Nagy, professor of politics and international relations at the International Christian University in Japan, told the Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post: "China is using its strategic, asymmetrical advantages, including its coastguard vessels, and the challenge for Japan is how it can counter that challenge."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether China will normalize its joint navy and Coast Guard patrols in the waters between Taiwan and Japan, enhancing its capability in imposing a blockade at sea. Japan and the U.S. are likely to increase their naval presence as a countermeasure.
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English (US) ·