June 21, 2022

Led by the Type 055 large destroyer Lhasa, a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy flotilla reportedly sailed from northwest to the east and south sides of Japan on Monday and Tuesday after making transits in three strategic straits near the island country, and the vessels are expected to make a full circle around Japan if they are to continue in their path and return to base, similarly to a voyage by a Chinese-Russian joint flotilla last year.

Japan should get used to China's normal national defense development and stop hyping the "China threat" theory while joining the US in interfering in China's Taiwan question, as China will not threaten anyone, but has what it takes to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and developmental interests, analysts said on Tuesday.

A PLA Navy flotilla consisting of four vessels, namely the Type 055 large destroyer Lhasa, the Type 052D destroyer Chengdu, the Type 903A replenishment ship Dongpinghu and the Type 815 electronic surveillance ship Tianlangxing, sailed through the Tsushima Strait in the northwest of Japan and entered the Sea of Japan from June 12 to 13, then they exited the region and entered the Pacific Ocean between Thursday and Friday, with the Lhasa and the Chengdu going via the Soya Strait and the Dongpinghu and the Tianlangxing via the Tsugaru Strait in the north of Japan, Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff said in a press release on Tuesday.

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