Show of strength: Russian and Chinese military ships spotted near Japan

Show of strength

A total of 11 Chinese and Russian military ships have been spotted traversing waters near the southern islands of Japan in the Okinawa prefecture.

This prompted the Japanese government to express "grave concern" over what it deems a show of force by its neighbors.

The vessels navigated the East China Sea, passing through waters between the main island of Okinawa and Miyako Island. Notably, it's the first time Chinese and Russian ships have been observed together in this area.

Japanese Defense Ministry's insights

The report notes that the ships were engaged in a joint patrol conducted by China and Russia, recently carried out in the Pacific Ocean.

According to officials, the Japanese Ministry of Defense views the repeated joint military actions of the two countries around Japan as "clearly aimed at demonstrating their power against our country." The Ministry also stated that it had conveyed its concerns regarding national security through diplomatic channels to China and Russia.

Reportedly, six Chinese ships, including missile destroyers, and five Russian ships, some of which are destroyers, were sighted on Tuesday morning about 280 kilometers northeast of Okinotori, the southernmost Japanese island in the Pacific Ocean.

Japan-Russia relations

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Japan imposed a series of sanctions against Moscow. Recently, the Japanese government banned the export of automobiles with internal combustion engine capacities exceeding 1.9 liters to Russia.

It was also reported that Japan is ready to provide additional support to Ukraine through World Bank projects aimed at repairing housing affected by Russia's aggression.

In March, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that Japan would urge China to take responsible actions regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, as Moscow has not demonstrated its readiness for concessions.