Japanese Defence Minister Says Sino-Russian Naval Flotilla a ‘Show of Force’

A group of naval vessels from Russia and China conduct a joint maritime military patrol in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, in this still image taken from video released on Oct. 23, 2021. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters

Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi has said that a rare demonstration of Sino-Russian force projection close to Japan this past week was unprecedented and underscored a growing list of security challenges in the region.

Kishi said that it was the first time that Japan had seen confirmed activity on such a large scale and over such an extensive period.