China and Russia Conduct Live-Fire Exercise in Japan’s Okinotorishima EEZ

Japan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that on July 19 Chinese warships – two missile‑destroyers and a supply ship – and a Russian Pacific Fleet warship entered the exclusive economic zone surrounding the remote Okinotorishima island and carried out live‑fire training. The Japanese Maritime Self‑Defense Force dispatched the destroyer May Rain to monitor and shadow the vessels, while senior Japanese officials lodged diplomatic protests.

The operation follows a joint Chinese‑Russian naval drill in the Yellow Sea earlier in July and coincides with the scheduled RIMPAC 2026 exercises. Okinotorishima sits on the edge of Japan’s second island chain, a strategic waypoint for U.S. forces and a key point in Japan’s claim to a 200‑nautical‑mile EEZ covering roughly 400,000 km². The presence of Chinese and Russian ships conducting live fire there highlights growing maritime tension in the western Pacific and raises concerns about the security of Japan’s outermost territory.