Japan's defence ministry detects suspected Chinese submarine near southern island

Japan’s defence ministry on Sunday, September 12, informed that it detected a submarine believed to be Chinese, near a southern Japanese island. According to AP, the Japanese officials said that the submarine remained underwater, however, the officials believe that the submarine is Chinese because the Chinese Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyer is near the submarine. The ministry added that the underwater vessel moved northwest off the eastern coast of the Amami Ōshima Island, about 700 kilometres northeast of the disputed East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but also claimed by Beijing. 

This has now prompted the Japanese officials to heightened the caution levels in the East China Sea as Beijing increases its military activities. Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force said that the submarine was heading west in the East China Sea. However, it also added that neither the ship nor the submarine entered Japanese territorial water. 

But it is worth mentioning that according to international law, submarines passing off the coast of another nation are required to surface and show a national flag inside territorial waters. Therefore, as China’s underwater vessel was completely submerged, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force sent three reconnaissance aircraft and two destroyers to the area for early warning and information gathering to analyze China’s intentions.

Tensions in disputed East China Sea islands

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that a Chinese submarine was detected near disputed East China Sea islands. According to AP, a Chinese submarine was also spotted in the area in June 2020. Beijing has defended its maritime activities and it has also repeatedly said that it has the right to defend its sovereignty, security and development interests. But, Japan has also been stepping up the defence in the nation’s southwestern regions and islands situated in the north of the disputed islands. 

Japan says that it opposes Beijing’s unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the region. Tokyo also regularly protests the Chinese coast guard’s growing presence near the disputed islands. Japan has claimed that Chinese vessels routinely violate Japanese territorial waters around the islands, sometimes threatening fishing boats.

(With inputs from AP)

(Image Credits: PIXABAY)