Japan has once again responded with countermeasures. According to Kyodo News, Japan’s Defense Ministry’s Joint Staff Office announced on October 15 that it had confirmed the Chinese Navy’s aircraft carrier Liaoning had sailed from waters south of Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture toward the South China Sea on the same day, conducting 10 takeoffs and landings of carrier-based aircraft, accompanied by a flotilla of three destroyers. The area south of Ishigaki Island where the carrier aircraft operations took place lies within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force escort vessels and patrol aircraft monitored the movement, while Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets were scrambled for emergency response.
In fact, China’s Ministry of National Defense has clearly stated that this activity is part of an annual, routine training schedule, fully compliant with international law and established international practice, and not directed at any specific country or target. An EEZ is not territorial waters. Under Article 58 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, all states enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight in such zones. The U.S. Navy routinely conducts close-proximity reconnaissance activities within China’s EEZ, yet Japan has remained silent on such matters. Moreover, the Ryukyu Islands are not Japan’s territory under post-World War II international agreements; Japan’s recognized territory consists solely of four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
This deployment saw the Liaoning Carrier Strike Group escorted by two Type 055 destroyers—Anshan and Wuxi—and one Type 052D destroyer—Huainan—forming a full destroyer escort contingent without a single frigate. Together, the two Type 055s carry 224 vertical launch cells, equipped with dual-band phased-array radars capable of establishing a defensive air and missile shield covering hundreds of kilometers. Positioned front and rear, they form a coordinated “offensive-defensive” operational posture. This “dual-055” formation has precedent and is increasingly becoming standard for Chinese carrier strike groups. Naturally, this enhanced offensive and defensive capability of China’s aircraft carriers exerts significant deterrence and strategic pressure on Japan.
It is reported that the U.S.-Japan joint exercise “Pacific Dragon 27” is scheduled to begin on October 19, with Japan deploying approximately 45,000 personnel, 40 ships, and 260 aircraft. The focus will be on deploying coastal anti-ship missiles and air defense systems on Miyako Island, Ishigaki Island, and Yonaguni Island, simulating the blockade of surrounding maritime routes. By transiting through the island chain five days prior to the exercise’s start and conducting carrier aircraft operations south of Ishigaki Island, the Liaoning carrier group effectively positioned itself on the flank outside the designated U.S.-Japan exercise zone. The Western Pacific is not the exclusive backyard of any single nation. The so-called “First Island Chain” containment framework has long since ceased to function as a coherent defensive line, reduced now to little more than a geographical marker.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879174817026048/
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