South China Sea: Japanese warships sailed near Chinese-controlled reefs in Spratly Islands ‘to pressure’ Beijing
- Vessels from the Maritime Self-Defence Force entered the contiguous zone around disputed islands and reefs at least twice in past 10 months, local media claims
- Voyages held ‘political meaning’, experts say, and were legal but might not have met the criteria of ‘freedom of navigation’ patrols
The Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF) vessels were carrying out “freedom of navigation” patrols “to deter China”, the conservative Yomiuri newspaper claimed.
However, some analysts suggested the warships’ journeys might more properly be described as a legal exercise of “innocent passage” through international waters – though they agreed the moves were likely to have angered Beijing.
Japanese government sources claimed the MSDF operations started in March 2021, with a destroyer sailing through the contiguous zone around at least one of the Spratly Islands. China claims a 12 nautical mile area around each of the islands as its exclusive territorial waters, while the contiguous zone extends a further 12 nautical miles beyond that limit.
Under international law, foreign ships are permitted to traverse a contiguous zone.
In August last year, another MSDF destroyer carried out a similar transit through a contiguous zone just beyond territorial waters claimed by China.
It is believed that one of the vessels was the Hyuga-class helicopter carrier Ise, which has carried out a number of military exercises with units from the US, Australian, Vietnamese and French armed forces in the past year.
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“I believe it would be too much to call this a ‘freedom of navigation’ exercise in the same way as the US navy carries out such exercises because the MSDF ships were in international waters beyond the territorial waters claimed by the Chinese,” an analyst with the National Institute of Defence Studies said.
The ministry has made no public comment on the report, including whether the Japanese ships were challenged by Chinese military units in the area or whether a complaint was filed through diplomatic channels.
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“These are what are referred to as ‘innocent passage’ and it is essentially the same as when Chinese navy units use international waters to sail between the islands that make up Okinawa,” he said.
“Although by going that close to the islands now held by the Chinese, it’s clear that some symbolism was intended,” he added.
Tokyo had not played up the MSDF’s actions in the South China Sea and appeared content to permit them to serve as an indicator to Beijing that it does not recognise Chinese sovereignty over the area, Mulloy said.