A Japanese submarine has for the first time joined a naval drill in the disputed South China Sea, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said yesterday.
The submarine Kuroshio took part in the exercise on Thursday with other Japanese warships, including the Kaga helicopter carrier, which is on a two-month tour of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, a ministry spokesman said.
It was the first time a Japanese submarine had conducted drills there.
The exercise, which involved the submarine trying to evade detection, was conducted away from island bases built by China to push its claims in the strategic sea.
However, the exercise could still anger China because submarines represent a greater potential menace to shipping than surface vessels.
Asked about the exercise, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang (耿爽) said: “[China] urges the relevant external country to respect the efforts made by regional countries to resolve the South China Sea issue through talks.”
“Act with caution and don’t take any acts that could damage peace and stability in the region,” Geng added.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea. Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also claim parts of it.
Chinese naval ships and monitoring stations on its fortified islands routinely challenge foreign aircraft and vessels in the region, sources have said.
China insists its intentions in the South China Sea are peaceful, but its more assertive stance has raised worries about confrontation.
The US Navy has conducted so-called freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea and has said it would like to see more countries challenge China in the waterway, through which about US$3 trillion of ship-borne trade passes each year.
Last month, a British Royal Navy amphibious assault ship, HMS Albion, sailed close to islands claimed by China in the South China Sea to exercise “freedom of navigation” rights.
Britain’s first such operation prompted a strong protest from China, which sent aircraft and a naval vessel to meet the British ship.
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