In the latter half of this month, China repeatedly engaged in unilateral actions involving the use of force and coercion.

Chinese Coast Guard vessels had been continuously navigating within Japan’s contiguous zone around the Senkaku Islands for 335 consecutive days since November last year, but the streak temporarily ended on October 19. The 335-day streak, the longest on record, came to a halt as the vessels may have moved away to avoid rough weather. However, Chinese Coast Guard vessels resumed their navigation in the area on October 24.
On October 16, the China Coast Guard announced that it had “driven away” Philippine reconnaissance aircraft over Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. On October 20, a Chinese fighter jet released flares in close proximity to an Australian P-8A maritime patrol aircraft conducting a surveillance mission in the area.

Japan took the opportunities of the ASEAN Summit held from October 26 to 28, the U.S.
President’s visit to Japan from October 27 to 29, and the APEC Summit from October 29 to November 1 to hold multilateral and bilateral meetings with ASEAN members, as well as with the United States, Australia, India and others, calling for and reaffirming cooperation toward the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).