Japan says Chinese ships practice live fire drills ‘in EEZ’

On July 20, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced that two destroyers, a Chinese logistics ship and a small Russian corvette entered the area the country considers its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), about 180 km southwest of the Okinotori entity.

The Chinese Type-052D class destroyer then practiced live fire in the area, the agency said. A spokesman for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) said this was the first time they had publicly disclosed China’s above activity in what Japan considers its EEZ.

The EEZ is located outside the territorial sea and adjacent to the territorial sea, with a width of no more than 200 nautical miles (more than 370 km) from the baseline. In this area, the coastal state has economic sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Minoru Kihara, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, said on July 21 that the country had informed China through diplomatic channels that “the exercises may endanger ships passing near that area”.

At a press conference on the same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lam Kiem declared that the information Japan gave was “completely unreasonable, we resolutely reject this”. He affirmed that China has clarified its stance on joint exercises and patrols with Russia.

Mr. Lam called Japan’s move “a campaign to smear and exaggerate the legitimate and legitimate activities of other countries, exaggerating Japan’s external threat to create an excuse for rapid re-militarization.”

Okinotori is an uninhabited entity located 1,740 km south of the Japanese capital Tokyo and is the southernmost land administered by Japan. Japan in 2022 applied to the United Nations to establish an EEZ around Okinotori, which it calls an island.

China and South Korea objected to the request, saying that Okinotori is not considered an island so Japan has no right to request an exclusive economic zone and expand its continental shelf.

The drills between Russia and China take place while tensions between Beijing and Tokyo have not cooled down. Relations between Japan and China have deteriorated since November 2025, related to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statement that an attack on the island of Taiwan could constitute a “life-threatening situation” for Japan and force the country to take military action. Taiwan is about 100 km from Yonaguni island in southern Japan.

China considers Taiwan a territory awaiting reunification and prioritizes the use of peaceful means, but affirms its readiness to use force if necessary.