A Chinese Navy fleet of six warships, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning, sailed through waters between Okinawa and Miyako islands, both in Okinawa Prefecture, into the Pacific Ocean on Friday, the Defense Ministry announced on the day.
The fleet did not intrude into Japanese territorial waters. The Maritime Self-Defense Force deployed aircraft, including a P-1 patrol plane, to monitor the situation.
It was a movement of unprecedented scale for a Chinese Navy fleet, and the ministry was analyzing the Chinese side's intentions.