The Japanese government said it would refrain from commenting individually on reports that China has deployed more than 100 military and law enforcement vessels in East Asian waters.
Minoru Gihara, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, said at a regular news conference on the 5th, when asked how it would respond to the reports, "We always pay close attention to China's military moves and are working to collect and analyze information," and added, "I will refrain from answering each and every case."
He added, "The government is closely monitoring surrounding military movements and is making every effort in information gathering and surveillance."
Earlier, Reuters, citing four sources and intelligence reports from relevant countries, reported that China is conducting a show of force by deploying more than 100 vessels from its navy and coast guard. The vessels are said to have been deployed from the southern Yellow Sea through the East China Sea to the South China Sea and Pacific waters.
Reuters noted in particular that "year-end is usually an active period for military exercises, but the scale of this deployment far exceeds the average year and is larger than during the encirclement drills around Taiwan in December last year." It also analyzed that China's maritime activity is increasing further amid heightened tensions between China and Japan following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about "intervening in the event of a Taiwan contingency."