Japan protests China's first live-fire drill in its EEZ as Russian frigate looks on

The incident

In the early hours of Sunday, July 19, a Chinese Luyang III-class missile destroyer conducted a live-fire exercise roughly 180 kilometers southwest of Okinotori island, Japan's southernmost territory. The drill took place inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to Tokyo's Defense Ministry. A Russian Steregushchiy-class frigate was in the vicinity at the time. Earlier, around 2 a.m., Japanese forces had detected a four-ship flotilla, three Chinese vessels and the Russian frigate, sailing northeast about 330 kilometers southwest of the island. The Chinese ships included a Renhai-class destroyer, the Luyang III, and a Fuchi-class replenishment vessel. Bloomberg described the exercise as a rare machine gun test fire by the Chinese navy while inside the EEZ of Japanese territory.

Japan's response

Tokyo filed a formal diplomatic protest, arguing the exercise could have endangered nearby shipping. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters on Tuesday that the government had conveyed its concerns to Beijing through diplomatic channels.

The Japanese government lodged a protest with China, considering that these activities could pose a danger to the navigation of vessels transiting the area.

Japan also scrambled its own warships and aircraft to monitor the situation. Kihara added that Tokyo would continue to watch Chinese and Russian naval movements around Japan "with concern." Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, speaking in Britain on Monday, noted the live-fire drill and said China and Russia were deepening military cooperation.

Disputed waters

The exercise spotlights a long-running territorial dispute. Japan claims an EEZ around Okinotori, while China argues the feature is a rock, not an island, and therefore does not generate an EEZ. A Japanese Self-Defense Forces spokesperson acknowledged that the live-fire activity did not violate international law, but it was the first time the ministry had publicly reported such a drill inside its claimed zone.

Broader tensions

The incident adds to already strained Sino-Japanese relations. In November 2025, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Tokyo could intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own. China condemned the remarks, urged its citizens to avoid travel to Japan, and tightened trade restrictions on some Japanese firms. Earlier in July, Japanese and Chinese coast guard vessels clashed near disputed islands, each side accusing the other of intrusions.

Military cooperation

China and Russia have stepped up joint naval and air operations around Japan, prompting Tokyo to reinforce surveillance and defenses along its southwestern island chain. The presence of a Russian frigate during Sunday's drill illustrates the growing alignment between the two militaries, a trend Koizumi highlighted in his London speech. Kihara said Japan would continue to monitor the activities of Chinese and Russian ships in waters surrounding the country with concern.