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Seong Hyeon Choi

China has rejected Japanese reports that a PLA Navy ship conducted a live-fire drill within its exclusive economic zone on the weekend, saying Tokyo’s claims to the zone are illegal.
Japan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that the People’s Liberation Army vessel was one of three conducting exercises with a Russian navy ship in the Pacific on Sunday.
It said that at one point the Chinese ship conducted a live-fire drill about 180km (112 miles) southwest of Okinotori Island and within Japan’s claimed EEZ while a Russian frigate was nearby.
The ministry said it had contacted China through diplomatic channels and that Japan was continuing to monitor operations in the area.
But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China “firmly refuted” the Japanese claims, saying they were “groundless”.
He also said that Chinese authorities had been “clear” about the location of the China-Russia exercise and patrol in accordance with international law.
“Okinotori is a rock rather than an island. As such, it is not entitled to an EEZ or continental shelf … China’s activities in the high seas are fully consistent with international law and international practice,” Lin said.
“By smearing other countries about legitimate and lawful actions and peddling the so-called external threat, Japan is actually seeking excuses to accelerate remilitarisation and challenge the post-war international order.”

News of the drills initially came from Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi during an address to the Farnborough International Airshow in Britain on Monday, according to media reports.
Japan’s defence ministry later confirmed that two Chinese missile destroyers and a Chinese supply ship had been detected with a Russian frigate about 330km southwest of Okinotori, sailing northeastward.
It said the Chinese warship’s crew had notified ships in surrounding waters of the location and duration of the drill.
Okinotori is a coral atoll located in the Philippine Sea about 1,740km south of Tokyo. At high tide it consists of just two tiny rocks above water – insufficient to claim its surrounding waters as part of an EEZ under international law.
To get around this, Japan has built a concrete structure on the atoll so that it has island status, enabling Tokyo to claim a vast 400,000 sq km (154,400 square mile) EEZ that is considered strategically significant for resources and defence.
Japan’s defence ministry said it was the first time it had publicly announced a case involving a foreign ship conducting a live-fire exercise within Japan’s EEZ, and that such drills could endanger vessels operating in nearby waters.
China and Russia have expanded their military cooperation in recent years, including through a number of joint exercises.
In June, their air forces conducted a joint bomber fleet patrol over the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, the East China Sea, and the western Pacific Ocean.
The patrol involved more than 15 aircraft including Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers and Chinese H-6K bombers that were escorted by combat aircraft and tankers, prompting Japan and South Korea to scramble fighter jets in response.
China and Russia also held annual joint naval exercises from July 5 to 13 off the eastern coast of China. The Russian Pacific Fleet sent a cruiser, corvette, diesel-electric submarine and rescue vessel to take part in the drills, while China’s Northern Theatre Command sent two destroyers, a frigate, submarine, supply ship and rescue vessel.
In the most recent drills, the two navies carried out reconnaissance, air and missile defence as well as surface-strike exercises, followed by joint maritime patrols in an unspecified location in the Pacific Ocean.


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The Chinese and Russian ships were seen about 330km southwest of Okinotori Island, according to Japan’s defence ministry. Photo: Wikipedia

A Chinese destroyer (left) and a Russian frigate during the live-fire drill on Sunday. Photo: Handout via AFP

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China

Military

Japanese defence ministry says PLA Navy vessels were spotted in the Pacific, southwest of the remote island


Japanese defence ministry says PLA Navy vessels were spotted in the Pacific, southwest of the remote island.


China-Russia relations

‘Groundless’: China dismisses Japanese protest over live-fire drill within Okinotori EEZ

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Japanese defence ministry says PLA Navy vessels were spotted in the Pacific, southwest of the remote island

Japanese defence ministry says PLA Navy vessels were spotted in the Pacific, southwest of the remote island