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China's Liaoning aircraft carrier flotilla returned to port after more than 40 days of far-sea combat training, and China's state broadcaster accused Japanese vessels and aircraft of conducting 'close-range tracking, surveillance and provocative harassment' throughout the operation. Japan's Defense Ministry confirmed it had tracked the carrier group as it sailed through the Miyako Strait into the East China Sea on Saturday, but Japan did not publicly disclose the carrier group's recent movements until China announced the training's completion.
Why it matters
Military encounters between Japanese and Chinese forces in the region have grown more frequent and risky. In December, Chinese fighter jets locked radar on Japanese Air Self-Defense Force aircraft over international waters southeast of Okinawa Prefecture, and last summer China dispatched carriers deep into the western Pacific and sent warplanes near Japanese aircraft multiple times. Japan's cautious approach to avoiding escalation reflects how fragile ties have become since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could hypothetically intervene militarily in a Taiwan crisis — a statement that prompted sharp Chinese reaction.
What to watch
The Chinese military's moves in the western Pacific have unnerved Japan and stoked concerns that a close encounter could trigger an accident that escalates into a broader conflict. Japan's decision not to release a public map of the carrier group's movements (as it did during roughly the same period last year) suggests Tokyo is trying to avoid further inflaming bilateral relations.
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