Chinese vessels fired warning shots to Japanese Destroyer entered Chinese territorial waters
發佈日期: 2025-08-11 11:05
TVB News
Chinese vessels fired at least two warning shots at a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer in July last year when it inadvertently entered Chinese territorial waters off the country's eastern province of Zhejiang despite repeated warnings, diplomatic sources said Sunday.
The Suzutsuki was tasked with monitoring Chinese military drills on the high seas, Kyodo News reported.
The sources said the destroyer's electronic navigational chart did not show the boundary between the high seas and other countries' territorial waters because a switch was not turned on, causing the Suzutsuki to enter Chinese waters without realizing it.
In the early morning of July 4, 2024, the Suzutsuki sailed for some 20 minutes in Chinese waters, within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) of the coast of Zhejiang.
After repeatedly urging the Japanese destroyer to change course, the Chinese vessels fired a warning shot just before the Suzutsuki entered Chinese territorial waters and another after it had crossed into the area, the sources said.
One of the sources stressed the need for vessels to ensure their navigational charts display boundaries when sailing near other countries' territorial waters.
The incident triggered a protest from China. Tokyo has unofficially informed Beijing that it was caused by a technical error, with the captain not aware of the destroyer's exact location, according to the sources.
The MSDF later dismissed the captain for negligence. The Japanese government has not made public its findings about the incident, given that they concern operations of the Self-Defense Forces.
