Japan’s Defense Ministry reported that a Chinese hydrographic survey ship, the Hai Yang 25, had entered Japan’s territorial waters in the East China Sea near the Osumi Islands. The ship sailed into the waters west of Kuchinoerabu Island and then left southwest of Yakushima Island. This intrusion marked the tenth time a Chinese survey ship had entered Japan’s waters off Kyushu since November 2021. Japan responded by sending a minesweeper and patrol aircraft to monitor the Chinese vessel. The incident occurred within the first island chain, which is part of the U.S.’ island chain strategy aimed at limiting China’s naval activities.
The Osumi Islands, where the intrusion took place, are part of the Ryukyu Archipelago and strategically located in the first island chain extending southward from Japan to Taiwan and the Philippines. The Osumi Strait between the Osumi Peninsula and Tanegashima Island is a major passageway for the Chinese navy to deploy to the wider Pacific Ocean beyond the first island chain. The Hai Yang 25 is a Type 636A hydrographic survey ship known for conducting research on underwater topography for submarine navigation. Japan protested the incident and expressed its strong concern to Beijing through diplomatic channels, highlighting the tension between the two countries in the region.
This violation of Japan’s territorial waters by the Chinese ship comes shortly after a Chinese air force Y-9 reconnaissance aircraft entered Japanese airspace on August 26. The incident further escalated tensions between the two nations, with China stating that it had no intention of intruding into any country’s airspace. Chinese navy and coast guard vessels have frequently operated in waters near Japan, which is a security ally of the United States. The disputed Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, have been a focal point of contention between Beijing and Tokyo, with both sides conducting patrols in the area.
The Senkaku Islands have been subject to patrols by Chinese government vessels since Japan nationalized the islets in 2012. In July, the Chinese coast guard set a record by patrolling the islands for 200 consecutive days. This ongoing presence of Chinese vessels in the region has raised concerns over territorial disputes and maritime security. Another Chinese hydrographic survey ship, the Hai Yang 26, was recently operating in the South China Sea near Vietnam, prompting opposition from the Vietnamese government to illegal Chinese survey operations in its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
The repeated intrusions by Chinese naval vessels into Japan’s territorial waters underscore the strategic importance of the region and the potential for conflict in the East China Sea. The first island chain serves as a crucial line of defense for Japan and its allies, including the United States, against Chinese expansion in the Indo-Pacific region. Both Japan and China have engaged in diplomatic exchanges following the recent incidents, but tensions remain high as territorial disputes and strategic interests continue to shape their interactions in the region. The presence of Chinese survey ships and military aircraft in disputed waters and airspace further complicates the security dynamics in the East China Sea and South China Sea, raising concerns about the risk of miscalculation or escalation.
