Key facts
- China and Russia conducted a joint live-firing exercise within Japan's exclusive economic zone.
- This was the first time Japan's defense ministry disclosed a live-fire drill by China within its EEZ.
- Tokyo views the drills as a sign of deepening military cooperation between China and Russia.
- Japan has mobilized air and sea assets to monitor the situation.
- Recent exercises have raised concerns in Tokyo about defensive gaps on Japan's Pacific flank.
Recent military exercises by China and Russia near Japan have heightened concerns in Tokyo about defensive vulnerabilities along the country's Pacific flank. Discussions are underway in Japan regarding measures to bolster deterrence and enhance monitoring in this long-overlooked region.
The "Joint Sea-2026" naval exercise, which took place near Qingdao from July 6 to July 13, involved integrated operations such as anti-submarine warfare, air defense coordination, and live-fire strikes. Russian Pacific Fleet warships, including the Slava-class cruiser Varyag and the Improved Kilo-class submarine Ufa, entered Qingdao to link up with Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy vessels. China deployed destroyers, frigates, and support ships, demonstrating a focus on combined maritime task-group operations.
Adding to these concerns, Chinese and Russian naval forces conducted a joint live-firing exercise using machine guns within Japan's exclusive economic zone on Sunday. This marked the first time Japan's defense ministry has disclosed such an event by China within its EEZ. Tokyo views this as a sign of deepening military cooperation between the two nations. Japan's top government spokesman, Minoru Kihara, stated that the drill "could have endangered the navigation of nearby ships" and that Japan mobilized air and sea assets to monitor the situation.
These naval activities follow previous joint bomber flights by Chinese and Russian air forces over waters around Japan last month, and other naval exercises earlier in July. The operational geography of these drills inevitably intersects with strategic calculations involving Japan, United States carrier deployments, and broader Indo-Pacific deterrence architecture. Military analysts assess these recurring patrols as mechanisms for building operational familiarity under real-world conditions, rather than mere political signaling.
Relations between Japan and China have been strained, particularly since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments in November suggesting Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on self-ruled Taiwan, drawing strong criticism from Beijing. Under Takaichi, Japan has been accelerating its pivot towards a more proactive defense policy, moving away from its post-World War II pacifist stance.