Why is China piling on the pressure on Japan with increasing naval operations?
Japanese analysis indicates Chinese fighters locked onto jets from a distance of about 52km during first encounter and 148km during second
Chinese naval vessels have intensified pass-through operations as tensions between Beijing and Tokyo continue to rise.
Japan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that a PLA Navy Type 054 destroyer had sailed southeastwards between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island, heading towards the Pacific Ocean, while another travelled eastwards through the Osumi Strait.
The PLA Navy carrier strike group travelled northeast from their position near the Miyako Strait where the stand-off occurred, heading towards waters off Kyushu and the eastern side of Japan that faces the west Pacific Ocean.
As of late Sunday, the Liaoning carrier strike group was around 190km (118 miles) east of Kikai Island, according to a map provided by Japan’s defence ministry.