The Japanese Defense Ministry has reported that three Chinese navy vessels, after sailing together with Russian warships, have nearly completed a full circuit around the Japanese archipelago.
On Monday, the Joint Staff of Japan's Defense Ministry announced that at around 9 p.m. on Sunday, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force confirmed three Chinese naval vessels traveling southwest approximately 50 kilometers northeast of Tsushima City in Nagasaki Prefecture: a Type 055 missile destroyer (hull number "103"), a Type 052D missile destroyer (hull number "124"), and a Type 903 comprehensive supply ship (hull number "903"). Between August 2 and 3, these three vessels sailed through the Tsushima Strait towards the East China Sea.
According to the sailing routes released by the Defense Ministry of Japan, these three Chinese ships, together with Russian naval vessels, entered the Pacific Ocean via Okinawa on July 16, and then navigated westward into the Sea of Japan via the Soya Strait north of the Japanese archipelago on July 27, meaning they nearly circled Japan once.
Among these Chinese vessels was a missile destroyer that previously conducted firing drills within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Okinotorishima.
The Japanese Defense Ministry stated that the Maritime Self-Defense Force's 3rd Patrol Guard Unit's "Shirayuki" missile boat and the 4th Air Group's "P-1" anti-submarine patrol aircraft were deployed to monitor and gather intelligence on the above vessels.