Chinese and Russian naval vessels sailed the seas around Japan, and the Maritime Self-Defense Force took precautions against their moves, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
Three Chinese ships, including a Renhai-class missile destroyer, were sailing in the Pacific Ocean about 300 kilometers south-southeast of Shionomisaki cape in Wakayama Prefecture around 9 a.m. Tuesday, heading toward the west, the ministry said. The cape is the southernmost point of land on Honshu.
Meanwhile, four Russian Navy vessels, including an Udaloy I-class destroyer, passed through Japan's contiguous zone between Mikura Island and Hachijo Island in Tokyo's Izu Islands chain, sailing toward the southwest around 11 a.m. on the same day. The ministry is keeping a close watch on the moves by the two countries.
