Chinese naval ships pass near Japan’s southwest islands

April 23, 2026

Summary

Japan said two Chinese naval ships passed between southwestern islands after Western Pacific training.

Why this matters

The passage underscores increased Chinese and Japanese naval activity near strategically important waterways linking the Pacific Ocean, the East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait. It also highlights recurring friction between Tokyo and Beijing over military movements near Japan’s southwestern islands.

Two Chinese naval vessels sailed between Japan’s southwestern islands this week after completing training in the Western Pacific, according to Japan’s military and China’s Defense Ministry.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted a guided-missile destroyer and a frigate south of Hateruma Island at about 3 a.m. Wednesday, according to a Joint Staff release. The ships were moving northwest.

The vessels were later seen sailing northeast between Yonaguni and Iriomote islands in Okinawa prefecture, entering Japan’s contiguous zone and heading toward the East China Sea, the release said.

The same vessels were also tracked Sunday sailing northwest between Amami Oshima and Yokoate Island in Kagoshima prefecture, according to the Joint Staff. The destroyer JS Akebono, assigned to a Sasebo-based surface squadron, monitored the transit.

The movements came as naval activity increased in nearby waters.

China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Monday, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry. It was the first such transit since China’s newest carrier, Fujian, made a similar passage in December.

Japan has also increased its activity in the area. The guided-missile destroyer JS Ikazuchi transited the Taiwan Strait on April 17, the fourth such passage by Japan’s navy since June, according to Japanese media reports.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun called that transit a “dangerous plot of some in Japan to militarily intervene in the Taiwan Strait and undermine peace and stability there,” according to a government transcript.

China has increasingly used waterways near Japan’s southwestern islands to travel between the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea.

In September 2024, the Liaoning became the first Chinese aircraft carrier to pass between Yonaguni and Iriomote. That transit, along with a separate incursion by a Chinese survey vessel into Japanese territorial waters near Kagoshima, prompted Tokyo to lodge “strong protests” with Beijing.

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