Japan Detects China's First Live-Fire Naval Drill in Its Economic Zone

On Tuesday, Japan's Joint Staff announced that a Chinese naval destroyer carried out live-fire exercises in waters southwest of the remote Okinotori Island, which is under Japanese administration, early Sunday. This occurred while the Chinese ship was operating alongside Russian naval vessels.

The Joint Staff's statement identified four ships monitored by Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force: the Chinese guided-missile destroyers "Renhai" and "Luyang 3," the supply ship "Fuchi," and the Russian frigate "Steregushchy." These vessels were observed sailing northeast approximately 330 kilometers southwest of Okinotori around 1700 GMT on Sunday.

Further, the Japanese military confirmed that the Chinese destroyer "Luyang 3" conducted live-fire training roughly 180 kilometers southwest of the island.

A spokesperson for the Joint Staff noted that this marks the first occasion Japan has publicly disclosed China's live-fire exercises within its exclusive economic zone.

Japan's Ministry of Defense reported that one of its destroyers tracked the vessels and gathered intelligence on their activities.

China disputes Japan's claim that the waters surrounding Okinotori fall within Japan's exclusive economic zone, arguing that Okinotori is a coral reef rather than an island.

In recent years, China and Russia have intensified joint naval and air operations around Japan, prompting Tokyo to enhance surveillance and bolster defenses across the southwestern island chain amid regional security concerns.

Japan is developing unmanned vessels as part of its response to China's maritime expansion.