Foreign Submarine Seen In Japan's Contiguous Zone
The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force has confirmed that a foreign submarine navigated an area just outside Japan's territorial waters without surfacing this week. Defense officials say they believe the submarine belongs to the Chinese Navy.
Defense Ministry officials say MSDF destroyers and patrol planes first spotted the submarine on Thursday afternoon in the contiguous zone northeast of Amami-Oshima Island in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. They say it was moving west and that the MSDF kept it under observation.
The officials say the submarine left the zone by Saturday morning, moving west through the East China Sea. They say the submarine did not enter Japan's territorial waters.
Japanese Defense Minister Kono Taro on Saturday instructed Defense Ministry officials and the Self-Defense Forces to do their utmost to gather information and carry out surveillance and warning activities.
Under international law, a submarine is supposed to surface and raise its national flag when it navigates through foreign territorial waters. But the rule does not apply to contiguous zones.
Japanese defense officials say the submarine navigated from the Pacific into the East China Sea through a narrow channel between Amami-Oshima Island and the Tokara Islands. They say the latest move is unusual and are analyzing the purpose of the excursion.
This is the first time in about two years that a foreign sub has been detected in Japan's contiguous zone.
In January 2018, a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine was spotted in Japan's contiguous zone off Miyako Island as well as the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
Japan controls the Senkaku Islands. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. China and Taiwan claim them.
