Koizumi says China carrier drills in Pacific highlight Japan’s ‘limited’ surveillance capabilities

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Friday that military exercises in the western Pacific earlier this week involving the Chinese Navy’s Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group had highlighted Japan’s “limited” monitoring capabilities, as Tokyo looks to strengthen its defenses in the area. The Chinese Navy’s Liaoning carrier and three other warships entered the South China Sea on Thursday, according to the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, after conducting joint military drills south of Okinawa’s Ishigaki Island that saw Japan scramble fighter jets. China’s navy has been expanding and intensifying its military activities in the vicinity of Japan in recent years, as it looks to bolster its ability to conduct operations in waters and airspace far from its shores.