Japanese Defense Ministry: Chinese Naval Task Force Transits Miyako Strait
According to a report issued on October 19, 2026, by the Joint Staff Office of Japan’s Ministry of Defense: around 4 p.m. on October 16, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) forces detected three Chinese naval vessels approximately 220 kilometers south of Okinawa Island (Okinawa Prefecture), proceeding in a northeasterly direction. The vessels identified were: a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer (hull number 122, Tangshan), a Type 054A guided-missile frigate (hull number 576, Daqing), and a Type 901 replenishment ship (hull number 889, Taihu).
(These three vessels constitute the 48th Chinese naval escort group bound for the Gulf of Aden, having departed Qingdao on October 11, 2025 — note by author.)
Subsequently, on the afternoon of October 17 (Saturday), the same vessels were confirmed to have transited the waters between the main island of Okinawa and Miyako Island—the Miyako Strait—before continuing northwestward toward the East China Sea.
The Japanese Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces deployed P-1 patrol aircraft from the 1st Air Group (based at Kadena Air Base) and the 5th Air Group (based at Naha Air Base) for surveillance, monitoring, and intelligence gathering.
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Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879476057044171/
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