A China Coast Guard ship and three naval vessels passed through the waters off Kagoshima. Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced for the first time

The Integrated Staff Supervision Department of the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced today that it was confirmed that a Chinese Coast Guard ship passed through the Osumi Strait off the coast of Kagoshima Prefecture on the 27th together with three Chinese Navy ships, heading towards the Pacific Ocean.

Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported that the Ministry of Defense stated that this was the first time that a Chinese coast guard ship accompanied a naval vessel through the straits and other waters surrounding Japan. The three naval vessels included a missile destroyer.

The China Coast Guard is a law enforcement agency equivalent to the Japan Coast Guard and is a separate unit from the Navy. The Ministry of Defense believes that this operation is part of China's expanded activities and is paying close attention to relevant trends.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the coast guard ship sailed together with the navy ship at about 10 a.m. on the 27th to about 200 kilometers west of Kuchinarabu Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, and then passed eastward through the Osumi Strait. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force dispatched ships and patrol aircraft to monitor the situation.