In a significant development, Japan has dispatched its destroyer, the Sazanami, through the Taiwan Strait for the first time, signaling growing military engagement in the region amid escalating tensions with China. According to Japanese media reports, the Sazanami embarked on its journey from the East China Sea on Wednesday morning, completing the passage southward over a duration of more than ten hours. The operation included naval vessels from Australia and New Zealand, emphasizing a collaborative approach among allies ahead of planned military drills in the contested South China Sea.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi refrained from commenting on the specifics of the military operation, stating it was a sensitive matter. The Japanese Ministry of Defence has yet to confirm the reports. However, New Zealand’s navy has verified the participation of its ship, the HMNZS Aotearoa, alongside HMAS Sydney from the Australian Navy. A representative noted that this marked the first transit through the strait in seven years, aimed at affirming the “right of freedom of navigation” in international waters.
This naval movement comes shortly after the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning navigated through waters between two Japanese islands near Taiwan, a territory claimed by Beijing. Japan condemned this maneuver as “totally unacceptable,” asserting that the ships entered its contiguous zone, which extends 24 nautical miles from its coast. In response, China claimed adherence to international law.
The increasing military activities have raised alarms in Tokyo, especially after a Chinese spy plane reportedly violated Japanese airspace in late August. Sources within the Japanese government, as cited by the Yomiuri Shimbun, indicated that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida authorized the Taiwan Strait passage in light of concerns that inaction could embolden China’s assertive maneuvers.
Hayashi articulated Japan’s growing unease regarding China’s military assertiveness in the region, noting, “We have a strong sense of crisis that airspace violations have occurred one after another over a short period of time.” He assured that Japan would continue to monitor the situation closely.
The United States and its allies routinely conduct transits through the Taiwan Strait to reinforce its designation as an international waterway. In recent months, Beijing has accused Western nations, including Germany, of exacerbating security risks following the transit of two German military vessels through the strait.
Experts have noted that Japan’s recent actions reflect a broader trend of increased naval presence by countries concerned about China’s maritime claims. Bec Strating, an international relations professor at La Trobe University, emphasized that Japan has been particularly impacted by China’s “grey zone” tactics, which aim to stretch a nation’s military resources by increasing the frequency of confrontational actions in disputed waters.
