10 China, Russia Warships Pass through Soya Strait
12:27 JST, July 30, 2023
TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A total of 10 Chinese and Russian naval vessels passed through the Soya Strait between Cape Soya in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and the Russian island of Sakhalin from Friday to Saturday, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.
Of the 10 vessels including destroyers and replenishment ships, nine were those that joined China-Russia joint military drills held in the Sea of Japan through Sunday, the ministry’s Joint Staff Office said Saturday.
Japan is continuing vigilance and surveillance activities, believing that the Chinese and Russian ships have shifted to joint sailing operations.
According to the ministry, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted the 10 vessels sailing at a spot in the Sea of Japan about 200 kilometers southwest of Rebun Island in Hokkaido around 3 p.m. Friday.
They sailed east through the Soya Strait from Friday night to Saturday morning and entered the Sea of Okhotsk.
It was the first China-Russia joint naval vessel sailing near Japan since September last year, when seven Chinese and Russian ships traveled from the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Japan’s Honshu main island to the Osumi Strait in Kagoshima prefecture, southwestern Japan.
China and Russia have been deepening their military cooperation. In June this year, Chinese and Russian bombers flew near Japan for two days in a row.
"Politics" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
China Firm ‘Developed System to Manipulate Public Opinion’; Leaked Information Describes Hijacking Social Media Accounts (UPDATE 1)
-
Japan, U.S., S. Korea Coast Guards Sign Pledge to Strengthen Cooperation
-
Japan’s Opposition Party CDPJ Sweeps 3 By-Elections in Lower House (UPDATE 1)
-
Japan Considering Bid to Join Australia’s Frigate Project; Boost to Domestic Defense Industry Expected
-
Japan’s LDP Battles to Avoid ‘Total Defeat’ in By-Elections; Opposition Party Guards against Overconfidence
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Weakening Yen Adds Complexity to BOJ’s Rate Hike Decisions; Rising Commodity Prices may Impact ‘Virtuous Cycle’ Efforts
- Japanese Seafood Exports to China Sink 57% in FY23; U.S. Becomes Largest Seafood Export Destination
- 70% of Japan Companies to Raise Pay Scales in FY 2024
- Minutes Show Policymaker Wants BOJ to Consider Further Rate Hikes Further
- ASEAN Plus 3 Share Concerns About Excessive Exchange Rate Fluctuation; Seeking Stability in Exchange Rate