China says Japan stirs ‘trouble’ with vessel in Taiwan Strait

BEIJING - China said the presence of a Japanese Self-Defence Forces vessel in the Taiwan Strait is provocative, in a sign that ties between Asia’s two largest economies continue to be strained. 

“Japan’s dispatch of a SDF vessel into the Taiwan Strait to flex its military muscle and deliberately provoke trouble is compounding its mistakes,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing on April 17.

“The Chinese military has handled it in accordance with law.”

China is firmly opposed to the vessel’s presence and has protested to Tokyo, Mr Guo added.

Japan’s Defence and Foreign Affairs ministries didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Japanese Self-Defence Forces vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in 2024, with two further transits taking place in 2025, according to the Asahi newspaper.

The latest transit will likely further hurt ties between China and Japan.

The two are locked in a dispute over comments on Taiwan by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in 2025, when she suggested Tokyo could deploy its military if China uses force to try and seize Taiwan.

Ms Takaichi has refused to withdraw her comments on the island democracy, which China claims as its own territory.

Since then, Beijing has unveiled a series of punitive actions targeting Japan’s import of dual-use items for military purposes, as well as tourism.

Tokyo so far hasn’t directly retaliated against the moves. 

An active officer of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces was arrested in March after breaching the grounds of China’s embassy in Tokyo.

The embassy also said on Apri 16 that it had received bomb threats.

Mr Guo urged Japan to correct its mistakes and provide China with an explanation. 

A spokesperson for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department declined to comment on reports that the Chinese embassy had received bomb threats. BLOOMBERG