China has expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to a recent joint maritime drill conducted by Japan and Taiwan, lodging a formal protest with Tokyo. The exercise, involving Taiwan's "Patrol No. 9" inspection ship and Japan's aircraft-carrying inspection ship "Sagami," took place near the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula and the waters around Izu Island, according to reports.
"China urges the Japanese side to adhere to the one-China principle and the spirits enshrined in the four political documents between China and Japan, immediately correct its mistakes, refrain from condoning and supporting the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces in any form, be cautious in words and actions on issues related to the East and South China Sea, and refrain from creating disturbances to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and to China-Japan relations," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian at a press briefing.
The joint exercise marks a significant step in maritime cooperation between Japan and Taiwan, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties and amid growing pressure from Beijing. Taiwan's Coast Guard, alongside the island's Fisheries Agency, routinely conducts high-seas patrol missions to protect fishing boats, and this drill appears to be an extension of those efforts.
"The refueling stop was made as part of the Taiwan Coast Guard's high seas patrol mission," a Taiwanese official stated. The patrol vessel departed from Kaohsiung Port on June 21 and is expected to return to Taiwan on August 14. Similar missions have seen Taiwan Coast Guard vessels anchor in Honolulu, further suggesting strengthened cooperation with both Tokyo and Washington.
The drill was conducted amid escalating tensions between China and Taiwan. Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, has not ruled out using force to assert its claim over the island. Chinese coast guard vessels frequently enter waters surrounding the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, also claimed by China, leading to confrontations with Japanese patrol ships.
Despite the heightened tensions, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi downplayed the implications of the joint exercise. "It was part of practical cooperation and exchanges in the area of maritime search and rescue operations," Hayashi said, emphasizing that the drill was not aimed at any specific country, including China.
"Taiwan is Japan's extremely important partner and a precious friend that shares basic values, economic ties, and people exchanges," Hayashi continued. "Tokyo plans to deepen cooperation and ties with Taiwan further based on the Japanese government position of maintaining nongovernmental, practical relations."
Japan's diplomatic recognition of China in 1972, under the one-China policy, led to the cessation of official ties with Taiwan. However, Japan and Taiwan have maintained robust unofficial relations through representative offices. Tokyo has been increasingly proactive in enhancing its coast guard capabilities and expanding joint exercises, a move seen as a response to growing regional security concerns.
In June, Japan's coast guard participated in its first trilateral search and rescue drill with the U.S. and South Korean counterparts. Additionally, Japanese and U.S. coast guards provided capacity-building support to the Philippine coast guard last year. These efforts underscore Japan's strategy to bolster regional maritime security through international cooperation.
China's strong reaction to the Japan-Taiwan drill highlights the fragile nature of regional stability and the complex web of alliances and rivalries in East Asia. As China continues to assert its territorial claims, Japan and Taiwan's collaborative efforts signal a strategic alignment that could reshape the geopolitical landscape.
