Japanese Warship Sighted in the Taiwan Strait for the First Time

Japanese warship Sazanami pictured, currently on route through the South China Sea (Photo: BBC)

This past Wednesday, a Japanese warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time. Government officials reported to Yomiuri Shimbun that the JS Sazanami would complete exercises within the South China Sea, a territory contended between China and Taiwan. 

Japan has taken a notably neutral stance in the past decades over the strait, refusing to claim either side as China continues its claim that the strait (and Taiwan with it) falls within its territory. However, as of recently, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kushida, a former defense minister, is rumored to have ordered the vessel into the strait as a countermeasure towards anticipated Chinese aggression. This comes after reports of increased Chinese military activity around Japanese territories, as a Chinese aircraft carrier was spotted in the Pacific a week ago between two Japanese islands. Japanese officials perceived this move as a warning on China’s part, as the nation continues to remain vigilant in its observance of Japanese movements alongside the strait and its relationship with Taiwan. 

This comes weeks after the trilateral summit at Camp David, where US President Joe Biden met with Kushida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, where the three discussed a joint military agreement to bolster the nations in their defense against the rising North Korean and Chinese threat. President Biden has continued to propose a strengthening front against Chinese military activism, and his administration hopes to unite South Korea and Japan in his efforts. Japanese involvement in the issue showcases the rise in possible future conflict within the South China Sea and greater stances against perceived aggression. 

Biden, Kushida, and Yoon pictured above at Camp David, following a speech given by Biden on the three’s future military joint operations. Photo: FP

In a comment from Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimaya Hayashi, “the matter is directly related to the Self-Defense Forces operations,” and reasonings are not at liberty to be disclosed to the public. However, the Japanese military has reiterated that matters of Chinese aggression in the strait are a present concern for the Japanese government, Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida citing a “deep concern” for the international community regarding increased Chinese military activities. 

Currently, Japan seeks to be recognized as a legitimate transatlantic power, especially in the face of US-China power grabs. As of mid-June this year, Tokyo has taken a defiant stance, though not explicitly, against China in their support for Ukraine in their ongoing struggle, pledging $4.5 billion in aid to President Volodymyr Zelensky. China’s staunchest ally, Russia, being the main aggressor in the conflict, marks Japan as a G7 power defiantly lined in opposition to China and Russia alike, given China’s applied military support to Russia’s front. With all this in mind, Japan’s campaign within the strait would be its strongest stance in an Indo-Pacific conflict following its pledge for neutrality at the end of World War II. Though their reasons are still unclear, it can be assumed that Japan wishes to strengthen its perception as a world power on the international stage, especially before nearby aggressors such as China. Currently, the end of the ship’s activities in the strait has not been declared, and tensions continue to escalate in the region.