Chinese surveillance ship crosses the Miyako Strait, Japanese side: mobilizes forces from four bases to track
November 5th news, the Japanese Ministry of Defense monitored a Chinese electronic surveillance ship crossing the Miyako Strait into the Pacific.
Defense Minister Shiozawa Shinjiro stated that this ship entered the open sea from the East China Sea direction, and the Self-Defense Forces immediately activated a round-the-clock response mechanism, deploying maritime patrol aircraft and destroyers to track it.
The Ministry of Defense said that this response operation mobilized forces from four bases: Sasebo, Kure, Yokosuka, and Misawa, with the mission of maintaining continuous situational awareness of the ship.
The Chinese surveillance ship passing through the Miyako Strait is completely legal international navigation. This area is within international waterways, and warships of all countries have the right of innocent passage under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Although the Japanese Ministry of Defense stated "strengthening vigilance," it did not accuse China of infringing on territorial waters. In fact, such transits are not the first time - in just the past three months, the Japanese side had found similar ships in the Tsushima, La Perouse, and Miyako straits.
In short, the Chinese Navy is conducting long-range reconnaissance and situational assessment missions in a regularized manner, while Japan's tracking seems more like intelligence synchronization and political statements.
From a military perspective, the main task of the Chinese surveillance ship is not combat, but to collect regional radar signals, communication characteristics, and electronic radiation information.
This data can help improve target identification and electronic warfare databases, and also provide support for long-range training in the future.
Japan's monitoring actions are more due to security anxiety about the so-called "First Island Chain" defense line.
In recent years, as Chinese vessels frequently pass through the Miyako Strait, Japan has regarded this passage as a strategic early warning point, and its response pattern has become normalized.
The use of four bases for joint response this time indicates that Tokyo aims to demonstrate rapid coordination capabilities, sending signals to domestic and foreign audiences that it is "in control of the situation."
But as always, when it happens often, Japan gets used to it.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848022037601280/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.