Japan's military on Thursday shadowed an unidentified submarine that entered its territorial waters the day before, but officials said they had not yet figured out what country the intruder was from. Tokyo put its navy on alert Wednesday after spotting the submarine off Japan's southern island of Okinawa, and sent a reconnaissance plane and destroyer to follow its movements. The submarine, which spent two hours in Japanese waters before leaving, was heading north Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told a news conference. He refused to confirm media reports that defense officials believe the vessel is from China, saying: "We don't have enough conclusive evidence to make a determination."
He said it would take some time to identify the submarine because it hasn't surfaced and didn't appear to be heading toward a specific country. Hosoda said Tokyo hasn't confronted any countries about the incident. Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono told a parliamentary committee Thursday the military was still tracking the submarine. Officials have refused to confirm media reports that Tokyo was investigating a possible link between the sub sighting and China's recent exploration of natural gas fields in Japan's southern waters. Japan's Yomiuri newspaper said defense officials suspect Beijing may have sent the vessel to head off criticism from Tokyo about China's recent surveys for gas fields near Okinawa.
Territorial disputes have occasionally flared up between Japan and its neighbors, China and South Korea, including one that has deepened in recent months with Beijing over natural gas deposits in the East China Sea. Japan has accused China of conducting surveys for gas fields near Okinawa that extend into Japanese territorial waters. China says its activities are close to its coast and don't concern Japan and has rejected offering more information. |