China’s military prods southern Japan with eye on first island chain route: analysts

Two PLA operations in a week near its neighbour are part of broader contingency planning, observer says

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A helicopter takes off from China’s Shandong aircraft carrier, over Pacific Ocean waters, south of Okinawa prefecture, Japan, in April last year. Photo: Handout via Reuters

Seong Hyeon Choiin Hong KongandYuanyue Dangin Beijing

Published: 10:00pm, 3 Sep 2024

China is trying to test the defences of the US and its allies with more military activity near Japan as it looks for a way through the “first island chain”, according to analysts.

Tokyo has reported an increase in Chinese military manoeuvring near Japan in the past few months, most recently on Saturday when the Japanese foreign ministry said a Chinese naval survey vessel entered the Tokara Strait off southern Japan that morning.

Japan said the vessel entered its territorial waters while China said the strait was for international navigation.

The previous Monday, a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance plane flew over the Danjo Islands west of Japan’s southern island of Kyushu for around two minutes.

Japan’s southern archipelago is part of the first island chain, a series of islands off East Asia controlled by US allies and used to project military influence – influence that China is seeking to resist.

Chinese military vessels, including the aircraft carrier Shandong and a Type 075 amphibious assault ship, were reported sailing near another part of the chain near the Japanese island of Okinawa last month.