March 2, Japan confirmed that 13 PLA planes flew through Miyako Strait into the Western Pacific Ocean.
China’s navy carried out a large-scale drill through a strategic entryway into the Western Pacific Ocean between the Japanese islands of Miyako and Okinawa on Thursday as Beijing seeks to project its growing military power further into the Pacific.
The official Xinhua News Agency said fighters, bombers and early warning aircraft had flown through the Miyako Strait northeast of Taiwan and into the Pacific. The aircraft then carried out drills with Chinese warships in the area to improve interoperability, Xinhua said.
“This exercise is part of annual plans for the navy, is not aimed at a specific country or target, and accords with relevant international laws and norms,” the report added.
It was not immediately clear if the Chinese aircraft had entered Japanese airspace or if Tokyo scrambled Air Self-Defense fighters in response to the drill.
Thursday’s drill was the latest in a series of exercises over the past six months in the international but politically sensitive waters and airspace.