China Intensifies Maritime Survey in Japanese Waters

The PLAN has increased maritime survey of the Kyushu-Palau ridge in the Philippine Sea through commercial vessels, navigated by the Haiyang 1D satellite, to deploy underwater sensors for surveillance and hostile military operations in the Indo-Pacific region

@Kunal_Chonkar

New Delhi: Continuing the expansion of its maritime military footprint in the Indo-Pacific region, China has now started to intensify grey zone operations in the Philippine Sea. With an eye to stake claims on the Kyushu-Palau ridge, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has steadily increased the number of private ships passing through the region.

According to a report, several survey vessels belonging to various private Chinese organizations have been in close coordination in conducting maritime surveys around Okinotori Island in the past two months. The island lies on the southern stretch of Japanese waters, a region in which Tokyo has been seeking recognition of an extension of the continental shelf.

China’s belligerent activities in the region were revealed in a maritime intelligence report, generated by Japanese officials, which was tabled to the leadership in Tokyo on December 26, 2020.

The summary of the report reads thus – ‘the Chinese Government directed maritime surveys in the area near Okinotori Island have significantly increased.’ It reasoned that – ‘realizing recognition of Japanese Government’s claim on the continental shelf extension and the rights to develop seabed resources, the Chinese Government has ordered various state-controlled commercial shipping organizations to collect seabed topography and  geological data to counter Japan’s claims.’

Systematic Maritime Tracking-Tracing

The report, tabled at the Defence Intelligence headquarters at Ichigaya, was the first-ever account wherein the Japanese Government openly revealed that it has made a systematic analysis of China’s oceanographic surveys. It highlighted the ways in which the PLAN has been repeatedly conducting unauthorized maritime surveys within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), near Okinawa, including areas near the Senkaku Islands as well as Okinotori Island.

An unauthorized survey conducted by the Chinese survey vessel ‘Da Yang’ inside the Japanese EEZ, around Okinotori Island in July 2020, lead the Japanese Government to initiate a detailed analysis of China’s past maritime survey activities in the region. The analysis was conducted by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), and the observations were reported to the Foreign Ministry and other government organizations.

Beijing’s relentless ruddering in these waters lead to urgent diplomatic manoeuvring by Tokyo. In the following weeks, the JCG appointed several maritime information analysis officers to monitor and analyse illegal maritime surveys by China. Their analysis confirmed that a total of five Chinese survey vessels had passed on the high seas just outside Japan’s EEZ in the southern waters of Okinotori Island.

“These vessels are attached to different organizations, including government organizations and universities. There was some variance in the timing of their surveys, the range of their activities, and the areas which they scanned almost never overlapped, and there were almost no blank areas. However, when these vessels were conducting their seafloor topographical surveys, they acted similarly by proceeding at a constant speed, and making turns at evenly spaced intervals,” explained Japanese journalist-turned-human rights activist Shun Fujiki.

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Speaking to TheNews21, Fujiki pointed out that since 2019, the PLAN has been ‘intensively conducting maritime surveys,’ which are overseen by China’s Haiyang satellite. “Last year, China launched the Haiyang 1D satellite, which is the fourth satellite in the Haiyang 1-series. The survey vessels follow the navigation map and coordinates set by the satellite in order to capture specific oceanic floor images in the region,” Fujiki said while adding that China’s need for high-resolution seabed information of the region indicated the PLAN’s aim to deploy underwater sensors for surveillance and hostile military operations. 

Contesting Continental Shelf Extension

In 2008, Japan had applied to the United  Nations (UN) Commission on the ‘Limits of the Continental Shelf’ for recognition of the extension of its continental shelf from Okinotori  Island, which is 4.5 kilometres from east to west and 1.7 kilometres from north to south. As per the characteristics of the submarine topography and plates ascertained in surveys for the application, Japan confirmed that the undersea mountain range shows that the continental shelf extends in the area southward from Okinotori Island to the Republic of Palau.

The decision on Japan’s application continues to be postponed due to opposition from China and other countries, which asserted that Okinotori Island is only a “rock formation.”

If the claim on the extension of the continental shelf is recognized, then Japan will have the right to develop the undersea resources on the southern Kyushu-Palau ridge. This decision will also prohibit China from conducting any exploration or development activities in the area, without Japan’s consent. Okinotori Island will also be internationally designated as an “island” and not as a “rock formation.”

However, relating vital importance to this surrounding sea area for its maritime strategy, China is apparently searching for evidence to the contrary that can deny any topographical linkage. Secondly, even Palau is also claiming an extension of its continental shelf in the same sea area. However, if Palau’s hold on the region is recognized, then it will in turn empower Japan’s claim as well.

The Vice Chairman of the subcommittee of the UN Commission, which will evaluate Palau’s claim, belongs to China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, which had sent the Da Yang survey vessel in the area for the survey. Thus, both Japan and Palau are very much in line to fail at establishing their claim on the region.