Kina

 

Chinese warships sail through Japanese waters as regional tensions grow

By 

Brian McElhiney and Keishi Koja

Stars and Stripes • April 23, 2026

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A Chinese destroyer was spotted sailing between Japan’s westernmost island, Yonaguni, and Iriomote Island before sailing into Japan’s contiguous zone heading toward the East China Sea on April 22, 2026. (Japan Joint Staff)

Two Chinese naval vessels sailed between Japan’s southwestern islands this week, Japan’s military said, in a passage that follows training in the Western Pacific and comes amid heightened tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted the guided-missile destroyer and frigate south of Hateruma Island around 3 a.m. Wednesday, according to a Joint Staff news release that day. Both ships were moving northwest.