Chinese warships transit near Japanese islands as regional defense buildup intensifies

A group of Chinese naval vessels passed near two Japanese islands administered by Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday.

The ships were part of the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command vessel formation 133 and sailed through the Yonaguni-Iriomote Waterway after testing long-range capabilities in the western Pacific, News.Az reports, citing Taiwan News.

The Chinese ships transited through another waterway between Japan’s Amami Oshima and Yokoate islands on Sunday to reach the Pacific Ocean.

The Eastern Theater Command announced the drills one day after the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi passed through the Taiwan Strait last Friday. It was the first such transit under Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae.

The command said the joint exercises between the navy and air force would be held in the area between China, Taiwan, and Japan, but did not provide a precise location.

China restricted airspace off its coast for 40 days in late March without explaining the move, The Wall Street Journal reported. The zones cover areas north and south of Shanghai, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration. They also extend from the Yellow Sea to the East China Sea. The restrictions end on May 6.

On Dec. 25, 2,000 Chinese fishing boats sailed to the East China Sea and formed two 466-kilometer-long parallel lines, almost in the manner of “a reverse L shape,” The New York Times reported. This was followed by another incident last Sunday, when approximately 1,400 Chinese fishing boats congregated in the East China Sea to form a 200-mile-long rectangle.

As China ramps up military and gray zone activity in the region, Taiwan and Japan have been beefing up defenses. Taiwan’s defense ministry released a public report on Tuesday detailing the weapons it plans to procure under the proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defense budget.

The weapons are divided into seven categories, including precision-strike missiles, unmanned systems, and air defense.

Taiwan will soon conduct its first joint exercise involving the Ministry of the Interior and other agencies, simulating a Chinese blockade. The drill aims to ensure Taiwan can protect critical supply lines during a regional conflict and continue importing energy.

Meanwhile, Japan has already moved missile batteries, including Patriot air-defense systems, into position on Yonaguni, Ishigaki, and Miyakojima islands, according to The Wall Street Journal. Radar equipment is also being upgraded, while several hundred military personnel are stationed on at least four other islands, according to Japanese defense officials.

Yonaguni is also preparing to host jamming equipment to counter air threats, the officials said. It will also receive surface-to-air missiles in 2030.

Additionally, Kyushu is turning into a launch point for Japan’s southwest defense, The Wall Street Journal said. It is home to the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade. In 2027 or 2028, the Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile will be deployed in Kyushu.

Japan has sent 1,400 personnel, three ships, and two aircraft to participate in Balikatan 2026 in the Philippines, Kyodo News reported. The Japanese military plans to test-fire a Type-88 guided missile.

The exercise lasts until May 8. Other participants include the US, Australia, Canada, France, and New Zealand.

Last week, former vice commander of the Philippine Army Leodevic B. Guinid said that any Taiwan conflict would directly affect Philippine national security. As a result, the Philippines is already formulating contingency plans for civilian evacuation if a Taiwan contingency broke out, Guinid said.

He suggested that the northern Philippines could serve as a staging ground for military forces and as the nearest haven for civilian evacuation. However, he emphasized that the Philippines would require assistance from partners, including Taiwan, Japan, and the US.

Last year, Taiwanese and Philippine government officials and advisers revealed that the Philippine Coast Guard conducted patrols with Taiwanese counterparts in the Bashi Channel, according to the Washington Post. Taiwan also sent navy and marine corps personnel to observe the 2025 Kamandag joint exercise led by the US and Philippine marines, they said.

The Taiwanese officers participated in tabletop planning, according to a government adviser. “Our security and military cooperation with the Philippines is going to get closer and closer,” he said.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova