The Chinese Navy Japan, Yokosuka Welcomes Fifth Country This Month”>aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, made its way into Japan’s contiguous zone on Wednesday. This marked the first time that a Chinese aircraft carrier has sailed in this area. Contiguous zones are sea belts that extend beyond territorial waters, which reach up to 12 nautical miles from the shore. In contrast, contiguous zones extend an additional 12 nautical miles from the edge of territorial waters.
Coastal countries have the authority to impose restrictions on ships in contiguous zones to prevent smuggling and illegal immigration. However, these zones do not have the same level of jurisdiction as territorial waters, allowing ships from any country to sail through them.
Taiwan’s National Defense Ministry announced that the Liaoning had sailed through an area northeast of Taiwan before heading southeast towards Yonaguni Island.
This incident follows recent military actions by China near Japan. Last month, an intelligence-gathering plane intruded into Japan’s territorial airspace off Nagasaki Prefecture’s Danjo Islands. Additionally, a survey ship recently entered Japan’s territorial waters southwest of Kagoshima Prefecture’s Kuchinoerabu Island.
In response to these actions by China, Japan’s Defense Ministry has been conducting warning and surveillance activities in the sea and air near their territory.
