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The Star
5 days ago
- General
- The Star
Philippines, Japan hold joint drills after reciprocal access agreement
MANILA: The Philippines and Japan conducted joint maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea over the weekend, marking one of their first major joint activities after Japan's Diet ratified early this month the reciprocal access agreement (RAA) between the two countries. At about the same time, China's military held joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea, according to Tian Junli, a spokesperson for the Southern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army-Navy. The drills with Japan, called 'maritime cooperative activity (MCA),' were held on Saturday (June 14) within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and involved the Philippine Navy's newest frigate BRP Miguel Malvar and guided-missile destroyer JS Takanami (DD-110) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). 'More than a maritime drill, the MCA underscored the operationalisation of the RAA—an accord that lays the groundwork for increased joint training, humanitarian assistance and disaster response initiatives between the AFP and JMSDF,' the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said. The drills featured antisubmarine warfare exercises, cross-deck exercises, communication check exercise, division tactics and officer of the watch manoeuvres, photo exercises and a finish exercise. Also joining the drills were the AgustaWestland 159 antisubmarine helicopter, C-208 ISR aircraft of the Philippine Air Force, search and rescue units, and Japan's SH-60K Seahawk. A video from the AFP showed the popular Japanese anime 'Gundam' playing in the background as sailors from the BRP Miguel Malvar manned the rails while sailing with JS Takanami nearby. 'With the RAA now in effect, our coordination with Japan will only grow stronger and more responsive to the complex demands of our shared security environment,' AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. was quoted as saying. The West Philippine Sea is Manila's EEZ in the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely. Tokyo and Beijing have also repeatedly faced off around uninhabited Japanese-administered islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu. Tokyo's security cooperation with Manila is expected to get a boost in the coming years following Japan's ratification of the RAA, which the Philippine Senate approved in December last year. Tian, meanwhile, criticised the Philippines for courting countries outside the region to organise 'joint patrols' and 'raised security risks' in the region. 'The theatre command forces remain on high alert, resolutely safeguarding China's national sovereignty and maritime rights,' he said in a statement on Sunday. He added that 'all military activities that seek to stir up trouble in the South China Sea or create flashpoints are fully under control.' The Philippine Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The Philippines and the United States conducted joint maritime drills in the South China Sea for a seventh time earlier this month. Tensions continue to run high between China and the Philippines over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
Japan Forward
14-06-2025
- General
- Japan Forward
Chinese Military Jets Make Aggressive Passes Near Japan
このページを 日本語 で読む At a press conference on June 12, General Yoshihide Yoshida, Chief of the Joint Staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, addressed the aggressive actions of Chinese military aircraft. He described the behavior as deliberate, noting, "They followed us for 40 minutes, then 80 minutes — and it happened two days in a row." Chinese J-15 fighter jets, launched from the aircraft carrier Shandong , approached Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) P-3C patrol aircraft at dangerously close range on two consecutive days. The Shandong had advanced to waters near Japan's Okinotorishima, more than 1,500 kilometers from the Chinese mainland. According to the Ministry of Defense (MOD), the first close encounter occurred on June 7. A lone J-15 tailed Japan's P-3C for approximately 40 minutes, repeatedly veering side to side as it approached and retreated, eventually closing to within just 45 meters on the aircraft's left side. On June 8, a second J-15 tailed a Japanese P-3C for roughly 80 minutes, coming as close as 45 meters on the aircraft's right side. As it disengaged, the jet crossed in front of the patrol plane at the same altitude, just 900 meters ahead. That day, another Chinese fighter also joined the pursuit. Describing the 45-meter proximity, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) pilot said it felt like "a total stranger walking shoulder to shoulder with you — close enough to break a cold sweat." At the time, China had deployed two aircraft carriers to the western Pacific simultaneously for the first time. Reflecting on the maneuver, one ASDF official remarked, "It was as if they were declaring, 'This is China's airspace.'" Frontal crossings like the one on June 8 are especially dangerous, as wake turbulence can trigger engine malfunctions. Japan's P-3C was conducting surveillance on five vessels, including the Shandong . According to reports, the JMSDF aircraft attempted to communicate via radio, asserting that it was "conducting legitimate mission flights in international airspace." While the MOD has not released the full details of the exchange, it stated that a safe distance was maintained from the Shandong . Chinese military aircraft have repeatedly carried out provocative maneuvers against the United States and other allied forces in recent years. In February, a Chinese J-16 fighter jet closed to within just 30 meters of an Australian P-8A patrol aircraft over the South China Sea and released infrared countermeasure flares designed to evade missiles. According to a 2023 announcement by the US Department of Defense, Chinese aircraft were involved in more than 180 abnormal close encounters over the previous two years. These included incidents where jets flew close enough for crew members' faces to be seen or crossed directly in front of US aircraft at dangerously close range. Around the same time, another Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning , crossed the Second Island Chain — a key US defense perimeter — for the first time. This time, with both Chinese carriers operating simultaneously in the western Pacific, Professor Tetsuo Kotani of Meikai University, a security policy expert, offered this analysis: "This seems to be China's way of sending a warning: 'Don't interfere with our legitimate training in this newly entered area.' It also reflects growing confidence as China continues to strengthen its carrier strike group operations." Author: Toyohiro Ichioka, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
CNN
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Japan says Chinese fighter jet came within 150 feet of surveillance plane above Pacific
A Chinese fighter jet came within about 150 feet of a Japanese naval reconnaissance plane over the weekend, the Japanese Defense Ministry said Thursday, an action the US ambassador to Tokyo called 'dangerous' and 'reckless.' Saturday morning's close encounter between the Japanese P-3C Orion, a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft and a J-15 jet fighter launched from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong occurred over international waters of the Pacific, according to a statement from Japan's Defense Ministry. The encounter lasted about 40 minutes, as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense (JMSDF) force plane was on a surveillance mission, according to the statement. The Chinese jet came within 45 meters of the Japanese plane 'horizontally,' the ministry said. Another close encounter between a Chinese fighter and a Japanese plane occurred Sunday, with the Chinese warplane passing about 900 meters (2,950 feet) directly in front of the flight path of a P-3C, the ministry statement said. 'Such unusual approaches by Chinese military aircraft could lead to an accidental collision,' it said. US Ambassador to Japan George Glass was blunter in his criticism. 'The recent dangerous maneuver by a Chinese fighter jet that put Japanese crewmembers' lives in peril,' Glass said in a post on X, sarcastically calling the incident 'another of Beijing's 'good neighbor' efforts.' 'Whether it's harassing Philippine ships, attacking Vietnamese fishermen, or firing flares at Australian aircraft, Beijing knows only reckless aggression,' Glass said. In the past several years, China has been accused of all those actions in the South China Sea and other areas of the Indo-Pacific. At a defense forum in Singapore last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said China exhibits a pattern of harassing and trying to intimidate its neighbors. 'We have all seen the videos and pictures of water cannons and ship-to-ship collisions and illegal boardings at sea. We are also seeing the illegal seizing and militarizing of lands in the South China Sea,' he said at the Shangri-La Dialogue. 'These actions reveal a lack of respect for neighbours, and they challenge sovereignty, freedom of navigation and overflight,' he said. The Chinese-Japanese encounters occurred in international waters in the Pacific as Beijing sent two aircraft carrier groups to the region for training exercises. The Chinese carriers and their escorts were practicing far-sea defense and joint operations, a military statement said. 'This is a routine arrangement included in the annual training plan, aiming to improve the Chinese PLA Navy's ability to fulfill missions. The training complies with relevant international law and practice, and is not targeted at specific countries or entity,' Senior Capt. Wang Xuemeng, spokesperson for the Chinese PLA Navy, said in a written statement.
CNN
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Japan says Chinese fighter jet came within 150 feet of surveillance plane above Pacific
A Chinese fighter jet came within about 150 feet of a Japanese naval reconnaissance plane over the weekend, the Japanese Defense Ministry said Thursday, an action the US ambassador to Tokyo called 'dangerous' and 'reckless.' Saturday morning's close encounter between the Japanese P-3C Orion, a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft and a J-15 jet fighter launched from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong occurred over international waters of the Pacific, according to a statement from Japan's Defense Ministry. The encounter lasted about 40 minutes, as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense (JMSDF) force plane was on a surveillance mission, according to the statement. The Chinese jet came within 45 meters of the Japanese plane 'horizontally,' the ministry said. Another close encounter between a Chinese fighter and a Japanese plane occurred Sunday, with the Chinese warplane passing about 900 meters (2,950 feet) directly in front of the flight path of a P-3C, the ministry statement said. 'Such unusual approaches by Chinese military aircraft could lead to an accidental collision,' it said. US Ambassador to Japan George Glass was blunter in his criticism. 'The recent dangerous maneuver by a Chinese fighter jet that put Japanese crewmembers' lives in peril,' Glass said in a post on X, sarcastically calling the incident 'another of Beijing's 'good neighbor' efforts.' 'Whether it's harassing Philippine ships, attacking Vietnamese fishermen, or firing flares at Australian aircraft, Beijing knows only reckless aggression,' Glass said. In the past several years, China has been accused of all those actions in the South China Sea and other areas of the Indo-Pacific. At a defense forum in Singapore last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said China exhibits a pattern of harassing and trying to intimidate its neighbors. 'We have all seen the videos and pictures of water cannons and ship-to-ship collisions and illegal boardings at sea. We are also seeing the illegal seizing and militarizing of lands in the South China Sea,' he said at the Shangri-La Dialogue. 'These actions reveal a lack of respect for neighbours, and they challenge sovereignty, freedom of navigation and overflight,' he said. The Chinese-Japanese encounters occurred in international waters in the Pacific as Beijing sent two aircraft carrier groups to the region for training exercises. The Chinese carriers and their escorts were practicing far-sea defense and joint operations, a military statement said. 'This is a routine arrangement included in the annual training plan, aiming to improve the Chinese PLA Navy's ability to fulfill missions. The training complies with relevant international law and practice, and is not targeted at specific countries or entity,' Senior Capt. Wang Xuemeng, spokesperson for the Chinese PLA Navy, said in a written statement.
Barnama
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
JS Harusame Makes Port Call In Kuantan, Reflects Growing Japan-Malaysia Defence Ties
KUANTAN, June 9 (Bernama) -- The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), JS Harusame made a port call here as part of its deployment for counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. Commanded by Commander Makoto Ozawa, the vessel departed from Sasebo on June 1 with approximately 200 personnel onboard, including JMSDF sailors and members of the Japan Coast Guard. 'During this port call, we plan to engage in various exchange activities with the Royal Malaysian Navy,' said Ozawa in a statement today. This marks the fourth visit by JMSDF vessels to Malaysia this year, following their participation in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA). It is also the first visit to Kuantan by a JMSDF vessel since 2019. According to Ozawa, the government of Japan is actively promoting a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" to uphold an international order based on the rule of law. Ozawa said in this context, port visits and bilateral exercises with regional partners like Malaysia are seen as vital to furthering this vision and added that in 2024, the two nations launched their first bilateral exercise, MALPAN, and have already conducted two exercises. Additionally, Japan established the Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework in 2023, selecting Malaysia as one of the first four recipient countries. 'Japan will provide security equipment to Malaysia soon. Furthermore, there has been active exchange through study abroad, study visits, and seminars,' he added.
