In a significant development reflecting escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan sent a destroyer through the Taiwan Strait for the first time, according to Japanese media reports. The Sazanami, a guided-missile destroyer, completed its passage through the narrow strait between China and Taiwan on Wednesday, amid an increase in military activity by China around Japan and its territorial waters.
This development comes as Japan and its regional and international allies grow increasingly concerned over China’s assertive military actions, particularly in the East and South China Seas, as well as around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory. The Sazanami’s transit took place alongside naval vessels from Australia and New Zealand, marking a united show of force and signaling a commitment to protecting freedom of navigation in the region.
Historic First for Japan in Taiwan Strait
For Japan, this marks the first time it has deployed a naval destroyer through the Taiwan Strait, a 180-kilometer (112-mile) wide waterway that separates Taiwan from mainland China. This move underscores Tokyo’s growing unease about China’s aggressive behavior, which includes an increase in military maneuvers and airspace violations near Japanese territory. Public broadcaster NHK and the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper both reported that the Sazanami spent more than 10 hours traversing the strait from the East China Sea to the south, part of a larger mission that included upcoming naval drills in the disputed South China Sea.
While Japan’s top government spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, declined to provide details about the military operation during a regular press briefing, citing the sensitive nature of military activities, the reports are believed to have been based on multiple government sources. The Ministry of Defence also refrained from commenting, leaving much of the strategic reasoning behind the mission unspoken but implicit in the broader context of regional tensions.
International Collaboration:
Japan’s action in the Taiwan Strait did not happen in isolation. Its destroyer was accompanied by the Australian Navy’s HMAS Sydney and New Zealand’s HMNZS Aotearoa, marking a rare instance of multinational collaboration in the strait. According to the New Zealand Navy, the mission was designed to assert the “right of freedom of navigation,” an increasingly critical issue as China’s claims over the waters grow more aggressive. This was New Zealand’s first transit through the Taiwan Strait in seven years, a notable move for the traditionally neutral country in the context of rising regional tensions.
Beijing has long claimed sovereignty over the Taiwan Strait, and the recent involvement of Australia, Japan, and New Zealand signals a pushback against those claims. This transit comes just a week after a Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, sailed between two Japanese islands close to Taiwan, further escalating concerns in Tokyo. Japan quickly condemned the Chinese incursion into its contiguous zone — an area that extends up to 24 nautical miles from Japan’s coast — calling the incident “totally unacceptable.” Meanwhile, China insisted that its actions were in full compliance with international law.
Japan’s Heightened Concerns About China’s Military Activity
Japan’s concerns over China’s expanding military operations are not limited to the Taiwan Strait. In recent months, Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels have increased their presence near Japanese territory. In late August, Tokyo reported that a Chinese spy plane had violated its airspace near the southwestern islands, triggering a sharp response from Japanese officials.
“We have a strong sense of crisis that airspace violations have occurred one after another over a short period of time,” said Yoshimasa Hayashi, reflecting Tokyo’s growing unease with Beijing’s actions. “We will continue to monitor the situation with strong interest.”
The increase in Chinese military activity has coincided with a broader strategic shift in the region. As part of this shift, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reportedly taken a more assertive stance. According to sources cited by the Yomiuri Shimbun, Kishida ordered the Sazanami’s transit through the Taiwan Strait in response to fears that doing nothing could embolden Beijing to take more aggressive actions in the region.
China’s Grey-Zone Tactics and Regional Pushback
Experts have pointed to China’s use of “grey-zone tactics” — a form of low-level military pressure that does not cross the threshold of armed conflict but serves to wear down an adversary’s resources. These tactics have become increasingly prevalent in the East China Sea, where Chinese coastguard vessels have been frequently seen near disputed islands. Japan has been particularly concerned about these actions, which threaten to destabilize the fragile status quo in the region.
According to Bec Strating, a professor of international relations at La Trobe University, Japan’s passage through the Taiwan Strait is “part of a broader pattern of greater naval presence by countries in and beyond Asia that are concerned about China’s maritime assertions.” Strating highlighted that Japan’s regional security concerns are shared by many countries both within Asia and in the wider international community, all of whom have become more alarmed by China’s increasingly aggressive military posturing.
China’s recent military activities have not been limited to naval maneuvers. On Wednesday, Beijing test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, marking its first such exercise in decades. Tokyo was quick to express “serious concern” over the missile test, noting that Japan had not been given prior notice of the launch.
The Quad’s Strategic Response to China
Japan’s destroyer transit through the Taiwan Strait comes as part of a broader international effort to counterbalance China’s growing military presence in Asia’s waters. Last week, leaders of the Quad alliance — comprising Japan, Australia, India, and the United States — announced an expansion of joint security measures in the region. The Quad has become a central pillar of the strategic response to China’s aggressive actions in both the East and South China Seas.
The United States, in particular, has been vocal in its support of freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, regularly sending its own naval vessels through the contested waters. These transits, though routine for the U.S. Navy, serve as a powerful reminder to Beijing that its claims over the Taiwan Strait are not internationally recognized.
China has consistently accused the United States and its allies of heightening security risks by conducting such transits. Last month, Beijing sharply criticized Germany after it sent two military vessels through the Taiwan Strait, accusing Berlin of contributing to regional instability. Nonetheless, these actions by the Quad and European nations signal a growing alignment against Chinese maritime assertiveness.
Regional Determination
Japan’s historic decision to send a destroyer through the Taiwan Strait is a powerful symbol of its determination to uphold international norms and resist China’s growing influence in the region. The participation of Australia and New Zealand in the operation highlights the increasing cooperation between like-minded nations seeking to maintain peace and stability in Asia’s contested waters.
As tensions continue to rise, the Taiwan Strait will remain a key flashpoint in the broader strategic competition between China and the international community. The actions of Japan, the Quad, and other allies serve as a reminder to Beijing that its maritime ambitions will face persistent resistance, with freedom of navigation and regional security remaining a top priority for countries around the world.
