Led by the large destroyer Type 055 LhasaA Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy flotilla reportedly sailed northwest towards eastern and southern Japan on Monday and Tuesday after making transits through three strategic straits near the island nation, and the ships would have to make a full circle around Japan if they want to continue their journey and return to base, similar to a trip by a joint Sino-Russian flotilla last year.
Japan should get used to the normal development of China’s national defense and stop touting the “China threat” theory while joining the United States in interfering in the China Taiwan issue, because China will not threaten anyone, but has what it takes to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests, analysts said Tuesday.
A PLA Navy flotilla consisting of four ships, namely the Type 055 large destroyer Lhasathe Type 052D destroyer Chengduthe Type 903A tanker Dongpinghu and the Type 815 Electronic Surveillance Vessel Tianlangxingcrossed the Tsushima Strait in northwest Japan and entered the Sea of Japan from June 12 to 13, then exited the region and entered the Pacific Ocean between Thursday and Friday, with the Lhasa and the Chengdu passes through Soya Strait and the Dongpinghu and the Tianlangxing via the Tsugaru Strait in northern Japan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Japanese Ministry of Defense said in a press release on Tuesday.
From Sunday to Monday, the Lhasathe Chengdu and the Dongpinghu were spotted sailing south along the east coast of Japan, but outside territorial waters, with the comings and goings of the Tianlangxing unknown, according to the Japanese press release.
On Tuesday, the three Chinese warships sailed to southern Japan, according to the Japanese press release.
In October 2021, a Sino-Russian joint naval flotilla circumnavigated Japan on a joint maritime patrol, with the nanchang, the first Type 055, being the command ship, media reported at the time. Observers predict that the flotilla this time led by the Lhasathe second ship of the Type 055 class, could repeat this trip in a similar way.
A Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday that at a time when Japan and the United States are making repeated provocations against China over the Taiwan issue, the PLA’s naval activities serve as a warning to them, as some of the most important Japanese and American military bases are located in eastern Japan, such as the US Navy base in Yokosuka.
The United States and Japan should realize and get used to the fact that the PLA is fully capable of safeguarding China’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests, and they should stop boasting about self-esteem. -so-called “Chinese threat” theory, trying to contain China militarily and interfere in the Taiwan issue, which is China’s internal affair, the expert said.
The PLA flotilla’s deep-sea drills are having a deterrent effect on “Taiwan independence” secessionists and foreign military interference forces, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times.
Wei said that the mighty Lhasa has reached 100% operational capability and can carry out military missions on the high seas as the nucleus of a flotilla.
Just days ago, a flotilla of five Russian Navy warships also circumnavigated Japan, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry’s Joint Staff. It is not yet known whether Russian naval activities were linked to Chinese naval activities like during last year’s joint maritime patrol, as the two countries’ ships were not close to each other like last. times, observers said.
