Japan’s annual defense white paper warns of mounting security risks from China’s expanding “gray zone” operations near Japan’s southwest coasts and in the Pacific.
Gray zone describes actions that create tension but avoid open conflict. This includes maritime incursions and aerial operations near disputed zones.
Calling China “the greatest strategic challenge Japan has ever faced,” the white paper said Chinese naval and air activity in the Pacific has tripled over the past three years.
The report specifically cited repeated Chinese intrusions near Japan’s Senkaku Islands, claimed by both nations, the first-ever Chinese military aircraft entry into Japanese airspace near Nagasaki in August 2024 and Liaoning aircraft carrier’s first transit through the Okinawa island chain in September 2024.
“In recent years, the China Coast Guard’s vessels have become larger and more armed. At the end of December 2024, the China Coast Guard possessed 161 ships with full load displacement of 1,000 tons or more, including two 10,000-ton-class patrol ships, among the world’s largest ones,” the paper stated.
China’s military exercises near Taiwan were another first-time concern, with joint drills reported in May and October 2024.
The paper also noted China’s growing coordination with Russia, including joint bomber flights and naval patrols near Japan.
The document identified North Korea as another key threat, citing its hypersonic missile development, continued nuclear weapons program, arms transfers to Russia, and the confirmed deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine in October 2024.
It warned that Pyongyang’s cooperation with Moscow could lead to dangerous technology transfers.
The report follows Japan’s recent demand that China stop flying fighter jets dangerously close to Japanese intelligence-gathering aircraft, warning the repeated incidents risk a collision. Beijing responded by accusing Japan of conducting surveillance flights near Chinese airspace.
In June, two close encounters took place over the Pacific, where Japan observed Chinese aircraft carriers operating together for the first time.
