In the latter half of this month, various movements by China were observed across the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

Around Taiwan, Chinese military flights, after a brief decline in late February, surged again. In the South China Sea, Chinese ships aimed their fire-control radar at Philippine vessels and approached others dangerously. China also rapidly reclaimed coral reefs and built large artificial islands in the Paracels. In the East China Sea, Chinese fishing vessels again formed massive convoys stretching hundreds of kilometers.

During this period, Japan held a summit meeting with Singapore to deepen cooperation among like-minded countries. Japan also held a summit meeting with the United States to advance broad security cooperation and reaffirm the importance of a regional network of like-minded countries. Japan’s foreign minister attended the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in France, where he discussed responses to cross-cutting threats and regional situations. He also met with the EU High Representative and the foreign ministers of France, the UK, and Germany to reaffirm close coordination amid a worsening security environment. In addition, Japan’s defense minister met with the visiting German defense minister, agreeing to conduct regular security consultations.