Chinese and Russian warships were seen circling Japan. What could it mean?

The pair aim to show they aren’t boxed in by the first island chain and that Moscow can project power despite the Ukraine war Three Chinese naval vessels and a Russian Navy corvette left Qingdao in China on July 13, passing through the western Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, as part of a 17-day joint patrol. Then on Sunday and Monday, three Chinese naval vessels – Type 055 and Type 052D missile destroyers alongside a Type 903 support ship – were spotted moving southwest through the Korea Strait, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defence. The ministry said this week’s passage completed a circumnavigation of the Japanese archipelago for the three Chinese ships. “This series of activities, including such joint voyages, is clearly intended as a show of force against Japan and is a matter of serious concern for Japan’s national security,” the defence ministry said on Tuesday, adding that Maritime Self-Defence Force vessels and patrol aircraft were sent to monitor the Chinese ships through the Korea Strait.

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