The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force’s (MSDF) destroyer Akizuki sailed through the Taiwan Strait recently in an attempt to counter the growing Chinese influence in the region, local media reported on Saturday.

The Japanese destroyer navigated the waterway through the strait from north to south after taking part in a joint drill held in the South China Sea in early February with United States, Australian, and Philippines vessels.

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It is the second time that an MSDF vessel has passed through the waters between Taiwan and China. MSDF destroyer Sazanami sailed in the strait along with Australian and New Zealand vessels in September, Jiji news agency reported.

In early February, the combined armed and defence forces of Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the US conducted a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone demonstrating a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Claiming that Taiwan Strait and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, Beijing opposes any kind of patrolling in the Taiwan Strait and perceives it as a security threat. On the other hand, the US, Japan and their allies consider the Taiwan Strait as an international waterway and routinely send warships through Taiwan Strait upholding freedom of navigation and countering China’s aggressive posturing in the region.

In recent times, relations between China and Japan have deteriorated over territorial disputes regarding the Senkaku Islands. The islands have strategic significance as it is close to important shipping lanes, and also offer rich fishing grounds besides having the potential existence of oil reserves.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has stated that the Chinese Coast Guard ships persistently make unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the waters around the Senkaku Islands.