Vol.2, July 17, 2024

What is happening in East Asian Maritime Security? The Research Institute for Peace and Security (RIPS) publishes the biweekly newsletter, “East Asian Maritime Security (EAMS)” and updates the information on maritime security relevant to East Asia and Japan's territory.

Statistical Data and Analysis (as of July 15)

Ever since June, the number of China’s intrusion into Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands has increased. The China Coast Guard has been navigating in the contiguous zone around the Senkaku Islands on a daily basis, but its intrusion into Japanese territorial waters has occurred more frequently than ever before; there were six intrusion days in the first half of July alone, which is almost the same number of intrusion days in the month of entire May and April.

Besides from the situation around the Senkaku islands, in June, a Chinese research vessel, the Xiang Yang Hong 22, installed a small buoy in the Shikoku Basin, Japan's continental shelf in the Pacific Ocean north of Japan's southernmost island, Okinotori. The area in which the buoy was installed is situated outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the marine surveys conducted in waters above continental shelf do not require the consent of the coastal state. However, it is highly unusual to place a buoy in the waters under Japan's jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean. The Sikoku Basin was recognized as the Japan’s continental shelf by the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2012, where Japan can exercise sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring the continental shelf and exploiting its natural resources. If the purpose goes beyond maritime surveying of seabed explorations and other related activities, there is a possibility of violation of the UNCLOS.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi said at the July 5 press conference that it was highly regrettable for the government of Japan that China had installed a buoy without any explanation and that Tokyo had asked Beijing to provide a transparent explanation. China replied, according to Hayashi, that the buoy would be for tsunami monitoring and was not intended to violate Japan’s sovereign rights over the continental shelf.

[Statistical Data as of July 15]

Japan Coast Guard (JCG) daily updates the statistical data on the number of China Coast Guard vessels entering in the contiguous zone around the Senkaku Islands and intruding into Japanese territorial waters. The below is from the website of JCG.

(https://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/ mission/senkaku/senkaku.html)

July	Contiguous zone	Territorial waters	July	Contiguous zone	Territorial waters
1	4		9	4	4
2	4	3	10	4	2
3	4	3	11	4	2
4	4	2	12	3
5	4		13	3
6	4		14	3
7	8		15	3
8	4

Top News

Date

Topics

7/1

Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) observed one Russian Balzam class AGI (hull number 80) sailing northwest in the eastern waters of Cape Soya, and also observed one Steregushchiy-class frigate (hull number 343) sailing west in the waters north of Cape Soya.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240701_02.pdf

7/1

JMSDF observed two PLAN vessels, Luyang III class destroyer (hull number 124) and Jiangkai-class frigate (hull number 538), sailing northeast in the waters south of Tsushima.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240701_03.pdf

7/1

JMSDF observed PLAN Dongdiao-class Electric Reconnaissance Ship (hull number 795) sailing southeast in the waters southwest of Kume Island (Okinawa Prefecture). After that, the ship crossed the Miyako Strait and sailed southeast to the Pacific Ocean.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240701_04.pdf

7/1

JMSDF observed two PLAN vessels, one Renhai-class destroyer and one Fuchi calss replenishment oilers, sailing northeastward in the waters west of Rebun Island. After that, they sailed eastward through the Soya strait.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240701_05.pdf

7/3

Chinese Coast Guard seized a Taiwanese-registered fishing boat near the Kinmen Island (Taiwanese-controlled).

BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news/ articles/c06kv11llpvo

7/3

JMSDF observed two Russian Tarantul class corvettes (hull number 991 and 971) sailing east in the waters northwest of Rebun Island. They then crossed the Soya Strait toward the east.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240703_01.pdf

7/4

JMSDF observed one Steregushchiy-class frigate (hull number 333) sailing southwest in the waters northeast of Tsushima Island.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240704_01.pdf

7/5

China Coast Guard warned Japanese fishing boats to leave waters around the Senkakus in the Weibo Posts.

The Japan News (by the Yomiuri Shimbun)

https://japannews.yomiuri.co. jp/politics/defense-security/ 20240705-196910/

7/5

Japanese government express regret over China’s placing of buoys off Okinotorishima island. Chief Cabinet Secretary, HAYASHI Yoshimasa said that China’s placing of buoys don’t infringe on Japan’s sovereignty, but that the government will continue to gather and analyze information.

NHK World

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/ nhkworld/en/news/20240705_28/ index.html

7/5

JMSDF observed one Russian Dubna-class tanker sailing southeast in the waters of Kusagaki Islands (Kagoshima Prefecture) and also confirm one PLAN Jiangkai-II class frigate (hull number 572), one PLAN Luyang-III class destroyer (hull number 175) and one Russian Steregushchiy-class frigate (hull number 333) sailing eastward in the same waters. After that, these four vessels sailed eastward through the Osumi Strait toward the Pacific Ocean.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240705_01.pdf

7/8

JMSDF observed one Russian Vishnya-class AGI (hull number 535) sailing westward in the waters east of Miyako Island.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240708_05.pdf

7/8

JMSDF observed two Russian Steregushchiy-class frigates (hull number 335 and 343) sailing south in the waters northeast of Tsushima.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240708_06.pdf

7/9

JMSDF observed PLAN Admiral Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier “Shandong” (hull number 17) one Renhai class destroyer (hull number 106), one Luyang-III class destroyer (hull number 164), and one Jangkai class frigate (hull number 571) in the waters southeast of Miyako Island.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240709_01.pdf

7/10

Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has confirmed that four Chinese vessels carrying machine guns have intruded Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Island. This is the 27^th day this year that Chinese vessels have entered Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Island.

The Yaeyama Nippo

https://yaeyama-nippo.co.jp/ archives/23563

7/10

China released the report on environmental survey conducted in the waters of Scarborough Shoal. It is believed that the Chinese government intends to assert its own jurisdiction and the legitimacy of its territorial control of the area.

NHK

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/ html/20240710/k10014508051000. html

7/11

JMSDF destroyer “Suzutsuki” sailed into Chinese territorial waters in the eastern province of Zhejiang.

Kyodo News

https://english.kyodonews.net/ news/2024/07/28ac44dc7400- japan-destroyer-sailed-into- china-territorial-waters- despite-warnings.html#google_ vignette

7/12

Japan Air Self Defense Force confirmed that One Chinese UAV（TB-001）flew from the East China Sea, passed through the Miyako Strait and then it flew toward the Bashi Channel.

Japan Joint Staff

https://www.mod.go.jp/js/pdf/ 2024/p20240712_06.pdf

7/16

JCG confirmed four Chinese Coast Guard vessels around the Senkaku’s contiguous zone on July 14. Chinese vessels have sailed around the Senkaku Islands for 207 consecutive days. The number of consecutive days has been renewed.

The Yaeyama Nippou

https://yaeyama-nippo.co.jp/ archives/2358

East AsianMaritime Security

Vol.2, July 17, 2024

East Asian
Maritime Security