Since last spring, Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers have repeatedly sailed through waters near the artificial islands and reefs claimed by China in the South China Sea, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
Japan is seeking to put the brakes on China's attempts to unilaterally change the status quo, in a manner similar to the "freedom of navigation" operations in the area by the United States. China has been ramping up its activities in the waters around Japan, including the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
