Map Tracks Russian and Chinese Spy Ships Loitering off Coast of US Ally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Russia and China have deployed vessels to waters around Japan, with both ships tracked loitering off the coast of the United States' ally, a Newsweek map shows.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Chinese defense ministries for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Under a U.S. containment strategy, Japan forms part of the First Island Chain—along with Taiwan and the Philippines—in the western Pacific Ocean. This defensive line of islands aims to restrict Russian and Chinese naval activities by leveraging U.S.-aligned territories.
China—which has the world's largest navy by hull count—and its quasi-ally Russia have frequently used waterways surrounding Japan to reach waters beyond their coastlines for naval deployments, with the most recent case involving a Chinese aircraft carrier.
What To Know
The Russian spy ship Kurily transited off the coast of Honshu—one of Japan's four main islands—in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea in South Korea, on June 4 as it headed north, according to a map provided by the Joint Staff of Japan's Defense Ministry.
The Kurily was spotted passing through the La Pérouse Strait—also known as the Soya Strait in Japan—toward the Sea of Okhotsk to the east on Sunday. The waterway separates Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island, and Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East.
Two days later, a Chinese spy ship—identified by its hull number as CNS Tianlangxing—transited from the East China Sea to the Philippine Sea via the Osumi Strait, according to Japan's Joint Staff. The waterway lies off Kyushu, the southernmost Japanese main island.
Both straits are designated by Japan as international waterways, where Japan claims its territorial waters extend less than the standard 13.8 miles from its coastlines. Neither the Russian nor the Chinese spy ship entered Japan's territorial waters during their transits.
The presence of the Chinese spy ship off the Japanese coast coincided with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington. The Japan-based, nuclear-powered warship was spotted leaving its home port at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo on Tuesday.
It remains unclear whether the Tianlangxing was sent to monitor the George Washington or to provide support to two Chinese aircraft carriers operating in the broader western Pacific.
What People Are Saying
Japan's defense white paper 2024 read: "China has been rapidly building up military capabilities while intensifying its activities in the East China Sea...as well as in the Pacific. Russia has also been observed engaging in joint activities with China involving aircraft and vessels."
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said in December of last year: "Japan has been closely tracking, monitoring, and interfering with Chinese vessels and aircraft for a long time, jeopardizing the safety of Chinese vessels and aircraft and easily causing maritime and air security problems."
What Happens Next
Both Russia and China are likely to continue using waterways around Japan to access the broader western Pacific for naval deployments. It remains to be seen how Japan will enhance its maritime surveillance in surrounding waters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
House bipartisan bill directs NSA to create 'AI security playbook' amid Chinese tech race
FIRST ON FOX – Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., is introducing a new bill Thursday imploring the National Security Administration (NSA) to develop an "AI security playbook" to stay ahead of threats from China and other foreign adversaries. The bill, dubbed the "Advanced AI Security Readiness Act," directs the NSA's Artificial Intelligence Security Center to develop an "AI Security Playbook to address vulnerabilities, threat detection, cyber and physical security strategies, and contingency plans for highly sensitive AI systems." It is co-sponsored by House Select Committee on China Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., Ranking Member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. LaHood, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee and the House Select Committee on China, told Fox News Digital that the legislative proposal, if passed, would be the first time Congress codifies a "multi-prong approach to ensure that the U.S. remains ahead in the advanced technology race against the CCP." The new bill follows another bipartisan legislative proposal, the "Chip Security Act," which he introduced in late May. That proposal aims to improve export control mechanisms – including for chips and high-capacity chip manufacturing – protect covered AI technologies with a focus on cybersecurity, and limit outbound investment to firms directly tied to the Chinese Community Party or China's People's Liberation Army. Chinese Bioweapon Smuggling Case Shows Us 'Trains Our Enemies,' 'Learned Nothing' From Covid: Security Expert "We start with the premise that China has a plan to replace the United States. And I don't say that to scare people or my constituents, but they have a plan to replace the United States, and they're working on it every single day. And that entails stealing data and infiltrating our systems," LaHood told Fox News Digital. "AI is the next frontier on that. We lead the world in technology. We lead the world when it comes to AI. But what this bill will do will again make sure that things are done the right way and the correct way, and that we're protecting our assets and promoting the current technology that we have in our country." Read On The Fox News App LaHood pointed to evidence uncovered by the committee that he said shows the CCP's DeepSeek used illegal distillation techniques to steal insights from U.S. AI models to accelerate their own technology development. He also pointed to how China allegedly smuggled AI chips through Singapore intermediaries to circumvent U.S. export controls on the technology. "As we look at, 'How do we win the strategic competition?' I think most experts would say we're ahead in AI right now against China, but not by much. It is a short lead," LaHood told Fox News Digital. He said he is confident his legislative proposals will put the U.S. "in the best position to protect our assets here and make sure that we're not shipping things that shouldn't go to AI that allow them to win the AI race in China." "Whoever wins this race in the future, it's going to be critical to future warfare capabilities, to, obviously, cybersecurity," LaHood continued. "And then, whoever wins the AI competition is going to yield really unwavering economic influence in the future. And so we're aggressive in this bill in terms of targeting those areas where we need to protect our AI and our companies here in the United States, both on the commercial side and on the government side, to put us in the best position possible." The "Advanced AI Security Readiness Act" calls on the NSA to develop a playbook that identifies vulnerabilities in AI data centers and developers producing sensitive AI technologies with an emphasis on unique "threat vectors" that do not typically arise, or are less severe, in the context of conventional information technology systems." The bill says the NSA must develop "core insights" in how advanced AI systems are being trained to identify potential interferences and must develop strategies to "detect, prevent and respond to cyber threats by threat actors targeting covered AI technologies." Amazon Announces $20B Investment In Rural Pennsylvania For Ai Data Centers The bill calls on the NSA to "identify levels of security, if any, that would require substantial involvement" by the U.S. government "in the development or oversight of highly advanced AI systems." It cites a "hypothetical initiative to build covered AI technology systems in a highly secure government environment" with certain protocols in place, such as personnel vetting and security clearance processes, to mitigate "insider threats." Though not directly related, the new bill is being introduced a week after FBI Director Kash Patel sounded the alarm on how the CCP continues to deploy operatives and researchers to "infiltrate" U.S. institutions. Patel laid out the risk in announcing that two Chinese nationals were charged with smuggling a potential bioweapon into the U.S. LaHood said that case further highlights "the level of penetration and sophistication that the CCP will engage in," but he added that his bill focuses on putting a "protective layer" on U.S. AI tech and "restricting outbound investment to China." He pointed to how the CCP also has bought up farmland around strategic U.S. national security locations, particularly in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. "If everything was an even playing field, and we were all abiding by the same rules and standards and ethical guidelines, I have no doubt the U.S. would win [the AI race], but China has a tendency and a history of playing by a different set of rules and standards," LaHood said. "They cheat, they steal, they take our intellectual property. Not just my opinion, that's been factually laid out, you know, in many different instances. And that's the reason why we need to have a bill like this." The bill comes as the Trump administration has been pushing to bolster artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States, and major tech companies, including Amazon, Nvidia, Meta, OpenAI, Oracle and others, have made major investments in constructing AI-focused data centers and enhancing U.S. cloud computing. Last week, Amazon announced a $20 billion investment in constructing AI data centers in rural Pennsylvania. It followed a similar $10 billion investment in North Carolina. In late May, the NSA's Artificial Intelligence Security Center released "joint guidance" on the "risks and best practices in AI data security." The recommendations include implementing methods to secure the data used in AI-based systems, "such as employing digital signatures to authenticate trusted revisions, tracking data provenance, and leveraging trusted infrastructure." The center said its guidance is "critically relevant for organizations – especially system owners and administrators within the Department of Defense, National Security Systems, and the Defense Industrial Base – that already use AI systems in their day-to-day operations and those that are seeking to integrate AI into their infrastructure."Original article source: House bipartisan bill directs NSA to create 'AI security playbook' amid Chinese tech race
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Taiwan's chip dominance becomes global security, economic flashpoint
WASHINGTON, June 12 (UPI) -- Taiwan may be an island of just over 23 million people, but what happens there could ripple across the global economy. The small democratic nation produces the vast majority of the world's most advanced semiconductors -- chips that are used in everything from smartphones and electric cars to defense systems and spacecraft. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. "produces roughly 90% of the most sophisticated computer chips, and the loss of that would be devastating," said Steven David, a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "We can't get around without it." For Taiwan, this manufacturing dominance isn't just economic -- it's strategic. Analysts call it the island's "silicon shield." The world relies heavily on Taiwan's chips, which deters China from launching a military attack and pushes allies like the United States to come to Taiwan's defense. The geopolitical stakes around Taiwan's semiconductor dominance have soared as China escalates military pressure, through increased fighter jet incursions, large-scale naval drills and explicit threats of reunification. U.S. lawmakers from both parties have increasingly voiced concern that a Chinese invasion could upend global chip supply chains and empower Beijing with outsized economic leverage. "It [would be] monumentally stupid to try to keep something as fragile as chips production going during the time of war," said Kitsch Liao, associate director of the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub. "One stray shell could destroy that plant and you're done." The United States has taken steps to address this vulnerability. In 2022, former President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, allocating $280 billion to support domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research, including subsidies for Taiwan Semiconductor to build a plant in Phoenix. In March, President Donald Trump announced a new $100 billion deal with the company to dramatically expand its manufacturing presence in the United States. "America is building plants with Taiwanese investment and cooperation in Arizona and elsewhere, but it would still be devastating," David said, referring to the potential impact of a Chinese attack on chip production. Taiwan's government has had to carefully balance cooperation with the United States against growing fears at home that shifting too much chip production abroad could weaken its security. Taiwan's two main political parties, the Kuomintang, or KMT, and the Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, have debated the best approach to cross-strait relations. While the KMT supports closer ties with China, the DPP, which currently holds the presidency under Lai Ching-te, has leaned toward reinforcing Taiwan's democratic independence and diversifying trade, actions that could increase already mounting pressure from China. "If China does successfully invade Taiwan and takes over the TSMC plant, it won't be able to use the plant the way Taiwan does," David said. "But it would deny its use to others, and that would be devastating to the world economy. Several percentages of world GDP would drop as a result." Analysts worry that even the threat of invasion could destabilize markets. Blockades or gray zone tactics by Beijing, short of all-out war, could still limit Taiwan Semiconductors' ability to export. "Any erosion in Taiwan's ability to trade with the rest of the world would have a significant impact on the global economy," said Jack Burnham, a research analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "It would disrupt the flow of semiconductors to a variety of different industries that are incredibly valuable to the United States, its allies and partners, and the global community." Taiwan has long been one of the most contentious issues in United States-China relations. After the Chinese Civil War, the Nationalist government fled to Taiwan in 1949, and the Chinese Communist Party established the People's Republic of China on the mainland. Since then, Beijing has claimed Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory. In 1979, the United States. ended formal diplomatic recognition of Taipei in favor of Beijing, but passed the Taiwan Relations Act, which commits the United States to help Taiwan maintain a "sufficient self-defense capability." The United States, though, has remained deliberately vague about whether it would come to Taiwan's defense in the event of a Chinese invasion -- a policy known as strategic ambiguity. But as threats of an invasion increased, this stance continued to be tested. In a speech in Singapore last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed that "devastating consequences" could result should China seek to "conquer" Taiwan, warning that an invasion could be "imminent." Beyond semiconductor and chips manufacturing, Taiwan remains a core interest in the Indo-Pacific region. The island sits at the heart of the "first island chain," a line of U.S.-aligned territories stretching from Japan to the Philippines. If China were to take over Taiwan, experts warned it could use the island as a launchpad to project power deep into the Pacific, posing a direct challenge to U.S. interests. "Should China be successful [in a reunification scenario], it would have a significant impact on the lives of everyday Americans -- both in their wallets and in the political situation they find themselves in," Burnham said. "What's at stake when it comes to Taiwan is the free flow of trade, a significant part of the American economy, and the health and stability of the United States' key allies and partners in the region."
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Japanese delegation hosted by Air Force Global Strike Command on Barksdale
BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Air Force Global Strike Command on Barksdale hosted a delegation from Japan last week strengthening international security ties. According to Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs, the gathering is called Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD) and it happened on June 5-6. The EDD brought together defense and foreign affairs officials from both nations. Global Strike Public Affairs says the U.S. side was represented by officials from the State Department and the Department of Defense, while the Japanese side was comprised of officials from the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, and the Japanese Embassy in Washington. General Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, assisted in showing the delegation AFGSC training facilities and engaged in bilateral discussion. Global Strike Command Public Affairs says these talks have taken place at key sites within the U.S. nuclear triad since 2022. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
