Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
Japan conducted first ever submarine drill in disputed South China Sea
Japan conducted first ever submarine drill in the disputed South China Sea: Details, Aim, Purpose, Highlights
Japan has carried out its first submarine drill in the South China Sea, a move that could provoke Beijing which claims most of the disputed waters.
Submarine Kuroshio joined three Japanese warships in waters just southwest of the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal for the drill.
Japanese defence ministry said the Kuroshio, with a crew of 80, would also make a five-day port visit to Vietnam’s strategic naval base at Cam Ranh Bay
China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in shipping trade passes annually, despite competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Tensions have been high over the Scarborough Shoal since it was seized from Manila by Beijing in 2012.
