Chinese warship fires live rounds inside Japan's exclusive economic zone
A Chinese Luyang III-class destroyer conducted a live-fire drill 180 km southwest of Okinotori island on July 19, 2026, the first such incident Tokyo has disclosed inside its EEZ. Four Chinese and Russian warships took part. Source: AP, Japan Times.
Japan lodged a protest with China on July 21, 2026 after a Chinese Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyer conducted a live-fire exercise 180 kilometers (110 miles) southwest of the remote island of Okinotori on July 19. It was the first time Japan's Joint Staff disclosed detecting a Chinese live-fire drill inside its exclusive economic zone. Four vessels took part: a Renhai-class destroyer, a Luyang III-class destroyer, a Fuchi-class replenishment ship, and a Russian Steregushchiy-class frigate. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the drill posed a potential safety risk to nearby ships. China's Defense Ministry said the live-fire portion took place off Qingdao, far from Okinotori, and that joint drills with Russia had wrapped up on July 13. Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi linked the incident to a wider pattern, citing a recent Chinese submarine ballistic missile test and at least ten joint China-Russia bomber flights around Japan this year. Source: Associated Press, Japan Times, Bloomberg.