China, Russia send warships past Japan as they extend show of cooperation
- Ten warships sail through Tsugaru Strait, between Honshu and Hokkaido islands – seen by observers as a warning to Japan
- It follows anti-submarine drill that is described as a mark of mutual trust
Only 19km (12 miles) wide at its narrowest point, it has a narrow passage of international waters through the middle after Japan opted in the Cold War era to limit its territorial waters to three nautical miles instead of the 12 it is entitled to claim.
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Chinese, Russian warships sail through Japan strait for first time
That has allowed nuclear-armed US warships and submarines to transit the area without breaking Japan’s commitment not to develop or use atomic weapons, nor permit nuclear arms to enter its territory.
Monday’s passage came the day after China and Russia wrapped up their annual exercises near the Peter the Great Gulf in the Sea of Japan, during which the two navies carried out training to improve combat capability to “deal with the security threat at sea and safeguard regional peace and stability”, Zhang Junshe, a researcher at the People’s Liberation Army’s naval research institute, told PLA Daily.
Observers agreed that the latest joint drills were consistent with Beijing and Moscow moving closer and deepening strategic trust in opposition to the US and its allies.
According to Chinese state media, Beijing for the first time sent its new Type 055 guided-missile destroyer Nanchang for the joint drills. Commissioned last year, it is among the largest warships in East Asia and serves as an escort for China’s aircraft carriers.
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China and Russia conduct joint naval drills in Sea of Japan
