Why is China piling on the pressure with increasing naval operations near Japan?
Last Updated on December 9, 2025 4:32 pm
By Liu Zhen
Chinese naval vessels have ramped up pass-through operations as tensions between Beijing and Tokyo continue to rise.
On Monday, a Chinese naval Type 054 destroyer sailed southeastward between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island, heading towards the Pacific Ocean, while another travelled eastward through the Osumi Strait, Japan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday.
The operations came shortly after the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning charted an unusual course towards Japan’s home islands following the mid-air stand-off between Chinese and Japanese fighter jets near Okinawa on the weekend.
The PLA Navy carrier strike group travelled northeast from their position near the Miyako Strait where the stand-off occurred, heading towards waters off Kyushu and the eastern side of Japan that faces the west Pacific Ocean.
As of late Sunday, the Liaoning carrier strike group was around 190km (118 miles) east of Kikai Island, according to a map provided by Japan’s defence ministry.
Chinese warships typically sail southeast through the Miyako Strait before entering the high seas of the Pacific, east of the first island chain that runs along East Asia’s coastline and includes the Japanese archipelago.
Source : SCMP