Russian and Chinese naval ships passed near Japan on August 17. Eleven vessels entered the waters between the main island of Okinawa Prefecture and Miyako Island and then headed into the East China Sea, Kyodo news reported.
The Japanese government called such actions of Russia and China “clearly aimed at demonstrating their power” against the country. Tokyo expressed “serious concern” over the provocation by its neighbors.
This is the first time Russian and Chinese ships have passed through these waters together. The vessels likely participated in a joint patrol recently conducted in the Pacific Ocean.
Japan conveyed its concern to Russia and China through diplomatic channels. On August 15, 11 ships of Russia and China, particularly destroyer squadrons, were spotted almost 300 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean’s southernmost Japanese island of Okinotori.
The ships were previously spotted in July when, after joint exercises in the Sea of Japan, the ships passed through the Soya Strait between Hokkaido and Sakhalin to the Sea of Okhotsk.
At the beginning of August, Moscow protested Tokyo over the holding of the Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum.
“It was pointed out to the Japanese side that this step, as well as joining the aforementioned assembly of Japanese parliament members who signed the final “document” calling for the undermining of Russian statehood and violation of its territorial integrity, cannot be considered otherwise as an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of our countries,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum took place in the building of the Parliament of Japan. They gathered representatives of the national liberation movements of the enslaved peoples of Russia and representatives of the main factions of the Japanese Parliament. The participants discussed the political and economic future of certain territories of Russia after the expected collapse of the country as a result of the war against Ukraine.
Last year in March, Russia also declared Japan’s “unfriendly nature” and refused further negotiations regarding the Kuril Islands, the territory of Japan that Russia temporarily occupies.
Cover: Japanese Defense Ministry
