DEFENSE & SECURITY

Chinese ballistic missiles fall within Japan’s EEZ for 1st time

Xinhua via AP
In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, a projectile is launched from an unspecified location in China during long-range live-fire drills by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Thursday.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:09 JST, August 5, 2022

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that China had fired 11 ballistic missiles as part of what Beijing calls “important military exercises,” which began on the day.

According to the Japanese government, five of the missiles fell within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for the first time.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said Tokyo had confirmed nine missile launches from three locations — inland China, Zhejiang Province and Fujian Province — between around 2:56 p.m. and 4:08 p.m. on Thursday.

Of these nine missiles, one from Zhejiang and four from Fujian came down inside Japan’s EEZ south of Yonaguni Island in Yonaguni, Okinawa Prefecture. The closest to Japan landed about 80 kilometers north-northwest of Yonaguni Island.

No damage to aircraft or ships has been reported.

The four missiles launched from Fujian Province are believed to have passed over Taipei.