At the end of 2024, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the China Coast Guard conducted a series of exercises and maneuvers simulating a naval blockade in the Miyako Strait, located between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island. This marked the first time such activities have been detected near Japan’s archipelagos, signaling, according to analysts, an intent to expand operational areas in preparation for a potential naval blockade of Taiwan.
The Japan Coast Guard reported that a total of six ships—two Type 054A Jiangkai II-class frigates, one Jiangkai I frigate, and three China Coast Guard vessels—transited from the Pacific Ocean side to the East China Sea side of the Miyako Strait on December 22. It is believed that the three PLAN ships previously circumnavigated Taiwan and the Sakishima Islands in what resembled a blockade maneuver. During these operations, the CCG vessels switched off their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) while navigating the strait alongside the navy ships, despite keeping them on near the Senkaku Islands, mimicking the behavior of military vessels.
Such exercises are part of what experts monitoring China describe as a strategy for a potential invasion of Taiwan. In this scenario, it is anticipated that China would initially deploy military and Coast Guard vessels to impose a blockade around the island, followed by missile strikes, amphibious landings, and other actions.
On the other hand, some point out that many China Coast Guard ships are armed with 76mm cannons (similar to those on Jiangkai II-class frigates), with a maximum range of 10 to 15 kilometers and a firing rate of 60 to 120 rounds per minute. Under Chinese law, their use is authorized to protect national sovereignty and for defense operations under the orders of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China. Many experts do not hesitate to classify the China Coast Guard as the “second navy” of the Asian giant, given the number of vessels it operates and its superior combat capabilities compared to other forces with similar missions.
The presence of Chinese vessels near Japan has become increasingly frequent, raising alarms for Japan’s national defense. This includes maneuvers by the PLAN, the Chinese Air Force, and, in some cases, units of the Russian Navy near straits and archipelagos, as observed in the final months of 2024.
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