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Anadolu Agency (21 July 2026)

Japan on Tuesday lodged a diplomatic protest with China after Chinese and Russian naval vessels conducted joint live-fire exercises inside waters Tokyo claims as its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

This marks the first time Japan has publicly disclosed such a drill in the area.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the Chinese and Russian navies held the exercise on Sunday about 180 kilometers (112 miles) southwest of Okinotorishima, a remote Pacific atoll that Japan regards as its southernmost island, according to Kyodo News.

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