SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Chinese missiles believed to have landed in Japan's EEZ: defence minister
Tokyo, Aug 4 (AFP) Aug 04, 2022
Ballistic missiles fired by China are believed to have landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone for the first time, Tokyo's defence minister said Thursday.

"Five of the nine ballistic missiles launched by China are believed to have landed within Japan's EEZ," Nobuo Kishi told reporters, as China holds massive military drills in the waters around Taiwan.

Japan had "lodged a protest with China through diplomatic channels", Kishi said, calling the matter "a serious problem that affects our national security and the safety of our citizens".

Parts of Japan's southernmost island region Okinawa are close to Taiwan. Kishi said it was the first time Chinese ballistic missiles had landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from Japan's coastline, beyond the limits of its territorial waters.

The figure of nine missiles fired was an assessment by the Japanese side, Kishi said.

China is holding its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan, which it considers its territory and has vowed to one day seize, by force if necessary.

The show of force was sparked by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island, despite stern warnings from Beijing.

The drills began around 12 pm (0400 GMT), and involved a "conventional missile firepower assault" in waters to the east of Taiwan, the Chinese military said.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Interference to astronomy the unintended consequence of faster internet
Russian rocket puts Iran satellite into space: Iran media
Viasat unveils IoT Nano service for global low-power connectivity

24/7 Energy News Coverage
NASA's X-59 moves under its own power
Sri Lanka orders Singapore shipowner to pay US$1 bn over marine disaster
More than 80% of Tuvalu seeks Australian climate visa

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
New MachLab rocket test site launches UK into next phase of space engineering
Ukraine's anti-graft body says new bill restores independence
Iran meets European powers amid threats of UN sanctions snapback

24/7 News Coverage
Australia's mammal megafauna face long-term decline from extinctions and invasive species
Alien life clues may emerge from deep sea volcanic vents on Earth
Seismic signatures reveal fragmentation patterns of fireball meteoroids



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.