Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan’s Defense Minister KOIZUMI Shinjiro sounded the alarm over deepening military ties between China and Russia, pointing to recent live-fire drills by their naval forces inside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Speaking on July 20 in Farnborough, southern England, during his official visit to the United Kingdom, he underscored the growing security concerns.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, a Chinese missile destroyer carried out these firing drills roughly 180 kilometers from Okinotorishima’s shores. While no ships were harmed, this marks the Ministry’s first public acknowledgment of such maneuvers in these waters. The Minister further pointed to a string of joint bomber flights as mounting proof of the growing partnership.

Observers point out that while the Exclusive Economic Zone gives a country special rights over resource development and resembles the high seas in some ways, live-fire drills in these waters can send a powerful strategic message to neighboring states.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense minimized Japanese concerns, asserting that the joint actions adhere to principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and do not target third countries. The Ministry described the activities as routine elements of an annual cooperation plan unrelated to the current regional situation and called on observers to refrain from unfounded speculation and exaggeration.

Despite these reassurances, the steady rise in joint maneuvers and patrols signals a tightening bond between the Chinese and Russian militaries. According to local media, Japanese defense officials remain watchful, keenly aware of the strategic stakes.

Okinotorishima, Japan’s southernmost point, is an isolated atoll located approximately 1,700 kilometers south of Tokyo.

Although its natural land area is minimal, measuring only a few square meters at high tide, it is strategically important to Japan as it secures an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of about 400,000 square kilometers.

Okinotorishima falls under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Ogasawara Branch.