Chinese Aircraft Carrier’s Activities: Strengthen Capabilities of SDF Base on Iwoto Island

Editorial

15:00 JST, June 2, 2026

China, which has declared its ambition to become a “maritime power,” has built up overwhelming naval strength and has made military exercises a regular activity not only in the South China Sea and in waters around Taiwan but also in the Western Pacific.

If this is left unchecked, there is a risk that Japan’s territory, territorial waters and maritime interests could be taken away. The Self-Defense Forces must use Iwoto Island as a base to strengthen their surveillance system and solidify defenses in the Western Pacific.

According to the Defense Ministry, the Chinese Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning conducted military exercises in late May in waters southwest of Okinotorishima Island, accompanied by state-of-the-art guided missile destroyers and other vessels. They reportedly conducted takeoff and landing drills for carrier-based aircraft, among other drills.

On its way to this area, the group of Chinese vessels reportedly passed through the Miyako Strait, which lies between the main island of Okinawa and Miyakojima Island.

The drills took place on the high seas, and the Miyako Strait is a waterway where the free navigation of ships is allowed. In this regard, there appears to be nothing illegal about the Chinese military’s activities under international law.

However, this marks the 22nd time since 2016 that Chinese military exercises centered on an aircraft carrier have been confirmed in the Western Pacific. It is clear that China aims to bring the Western Pacific into its sphere of influence.

Okinotorishima, located at the southernmost edge of Japan, is the nation’s territory that serves as a base point to determine Japan’s territorial waters. It is also a base point for Japan’s vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

China’s claim that Okinotorishima Island is nothing more than a “rock” seems to stem from its desire to deny the island as Japanese territory and to obtain maritime interests in waters around the island as China’s own.

Furthermore, vigilance must not be neglected regarding Minami-Torishima Island, where the presence of large quantities of rare earth elements has been confirmed on the seabed offshore.

To protect these interests, it is necessary to strengthen response capabilities centered on Iwoto, which serves as a base for the Self-Defense Forces.

However, currently, only 400 personnel are stationed on Iwoto for surveillance duty. Since the island has no port capable of accommodating large vessels, it is difficult to secure sufficient fuel and other supplies, and fighter jets remain undeployed there.

It is an urgent priority to develop Iwoto’s infrastructure and strengthen the base’s capabilities. Deployment of radar systems to monitor the airspace above Iwoto and other islands must also be expedited.

The Chinese government has criticized the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for “new militarism” at international conferences and in talks between its leaders and those from other countries. However, it is China itself that is significantly expanding its military capabilities and attempting to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion.

It was only natural for Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to counter this at the Shangri-La Dialogue, also known as the Asia Security Summit, held in Singapore, stating: “There is a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither of such weapons. And yet Japan is labeled ‘new militarism.’ Isn’t it strange?”

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 2, 2026)