Japan says Chinese Navy's Shupang class survey ship spotted near island of Yakushima

A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Shupang-class survey ship on Sunday intruded on the territorial waters of Japan, off the southern prefecture of Kagoshima in what would be the tenth maritime violation by Beijing's survey ship into Japanese waters. In a statement, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Forces said that the Chinese PLAN ship was first spotted at around 12:50 a.m. on February 12 traversing northward in Japan's contiguous zone, south of the island of Yakushima. It entered Japan's territorial waters southwest of the island at around 2:30 a.m. and sailed off Kuchinoshima Island, about 50 kilometers southwest of Yakushima at around 4:10 a.m.  

Chinese survey vessel spent around 3 hours and 40 minutes sailing in Japanese waters, and it travelled to the west of Kuchinoerabu island, also known as Kagoshima. The Japanese forces were on high alert as the Chinese naval activities as a national security concern for Tokyo. Japanese President Fumio Kishida-led administration unveiled new strategies – the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Force Preparedness Plan – in which Japan labelled China as an unprecedented "strategic challenge".

On February 12, it was confirmed that a Chinese Navy Shupang-class survey ship sailed through Japan’s territorial waters near Yakushima Island. This is the 10th time, the first since December last year, that we announce Chinese Naval vessel’s entry into Japan’s territorial waters pic.twitter.com/14O5hYsALy

— Japan Ministry of Defense/Self-Defense Forces (@ModJapan_en) February 11, 2023

Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s helicopter carrier Izumo. Credit: AP

Japan informed Chinese officials about incident via diplomatic channels

The Japanese Defense Ministry stated that it was continuously monitoring the Chinese vessels and inspecting the purpose of its sail. This is the first time in 2023 that the Chinese ship entered the Japanese territorial water, and Japan's Defense Ministry informed the Chinese officials about the incident via diplomatic channels between the two countries. Last year, Chinese naval vessels breached Japan's sovereign waters at least five times. 

"On February 12, it was confirmed that a Chinese Navy Shupang-class survey ship sailed through Japan’s territorial waters near Yakushima Island. This is the 10th time, the first since December last year, that we announce a Chinese Naval vessel’s entry into Japan’s territorial waters," Japan's Defense ministry tweeted.

A helicopter of Japan Self-Defense Forces prepares to land on the flight deck of the helicopter destroyer Izumo of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force. Credit: AP

Chinese PLAN vessels are known for repeated incursion into Japan's territorial waters via the adjacent disputed islands mainly the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, known to China as Diaoyu. Beijing's expanding military footprint and overlapping territorial claims in the South and East China seas have escalated the geopolitical tensions between the WWII rivals in the region.