China and Russia conducted live-fire naval exercises in Japan's so-called exclusive economic zone; Japan stated that the Chinese warship firing drills took place near Okinotorishima Island.

The economic zone claimed by Japan is invalid, and China and Russia have jointly conducted military exercises within Japan's so-called "economic zone." On July 20, according to reports from Japanese media, Japan's Defense Minister Jun'ichirō Koizumi revealed during a speech at Farnborough that Chinese and Russian naval vessels carried out live-fire drills over the weekend in what Japan refers to as its "Exclusive Economic Zone."

Japanese government officials stated that a Chinese missile destroyer conducted firing exercises within Japan's "Exclusive Economic Zone," with the exercise site located approximately 180 kilometers off the coast of Okinotorishima. There have been no reports of damage to any vessels or other ships. It is now clear that Okinotorishima is not a true island but rather a reef. Previously, our side has clearly stated that after high tide, only two small rocky outcrops emerge above sea level, lacking freshwater resources and unable to support long-term human habitation, with an area of just 10 square meters.

According to international law, this rock formation does not qualify for establishing a 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. Therefore, even though Japan has invested heavily over many years to reinforce the reef and construct artificial facilities, this cannot alter its inherent nature as a natural reef, nor can it justify claiming tens of thousands of square kilometers of ocean territory out of thin air. Consequently, Japan's claim to an "economic zone" is legally unfounded. We not only do not recognize this claim diplomatically, but we also demonstrate through concrete actions that we will never accept Japan’s behavior.

We have deployed warships together with Russia near the location approximately 180 kilometers off Okinotorishima’s coast—clearly signaling to Japan that this area is international waters, and Japan has no jurisdiction whatsoever. Interestingly, instead of lodging protests domestically, Japan chose for its Defense Minister to travel all the way to the international stage of the UK air show to publicly disclose the incident. Clearly, Japan is not merely expressing dissatisfaction; it is deliberately using this military exercise event to portray China and Russia as threats. However, regarding Japan’s illegal claims, the international community will certainly not provide support.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871248322811916/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.