TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan's Ministry of Defense on Thursday (May 25) said a Chinese destroyer and frigate steamed through the waters between northeast Taiwan and Japan's Okinawa Prefecture.
According to a press release issued by Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 052C destroyer the Jinan (Hull No. 152) and Type 054A frigate Binzhou (Hull No. 515) sailed between the prefecture's main island of Okinawa and Miyako island on Wednesday (May 24) headed in a southeasterly direction. On Thursday afternoon, the two PLAN vessels were then detected headed northwest 100 kilometers south of Yonaguni Island and east of Yilan County.
The ships continued to move north and were last reported to be 70 km west of the Diaoyutai Islands and headed in a northerly direction. The Jinan is categorized by NATO as a Luyang II-class destroyer, which is a category of guided missile destroyer, while the Binzhou is listed by NATO as a Jiangkai II guided-missile frigate.
On Friday (May 26), the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said it had detected 21 Chinese military aircraft and 11 naval vessels around Taiwan from 6 a.m. on Thursday to 6 a.m.
Map shows routes taken by PLAN ships on Wednesday (right arrows) and Thursday. (Japan Ministry of Defense image)