Acta Non Verba: The Taiwan Strait Transit of JS Sazanami
On 25 September 2024, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) Japanese Ship (JS) Sazanami, a destroyer with pennant number 113 (DD-113), conducted a north to south transit of the Taiwan Strait accompanied by vessels from Australia and New Zealand.
While US warships sail through the strait about every two months, this is the first time a JMSDF warship has ever transited the strait throughout the history of the service since its founding in 1951. This was also the first time a New Zealand Defense Force vessel passed through the strait since 2017.
“Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to comment on the issue, saying it is "a matter related to the Self-Defense Forces' operations." A government source said Tokyo does not intend to unnecessarily provoke Beijing by referring to the passage.”
Actions not words indeed. Tokyo is signaling to Beijing that it will no longer be a passive player in the regional balance of power, especially in regards to Taiwan issues.
Why Now?
There are a number of proximate tactical reasons why Tokyo took this action. First, the CCP has recently utilized military assets to encroach on Japanese areas. On 26 August, a PLA Y-9 surveillance aircraft entered Japan’s aircraft identification zone (not such a big deal) and then violated Japan’s territorial airspace over a small uninhabited group of islands (a bigger deal).
Then on 18 September the Liaoning CV-16 Chinese aircraft carrier entered Japan’s contiguous zone between the Japanese islands of Yonaguni and Iriomote. Both islands are entitled to a 12 nautical mile (nm) territorial sea as well as a 24 nm contiguous zone.
The Liaoning’s path skirted outside of Yonaguni and Iriomote’s territorial sea boundaries, within a thin strip of contiguous zone. The region where this activity occurred is very close to Taiwan.
Tokyo responded to the Liaoning’s transit:
“Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshi Moriya said on Wednesday that Tokyo had conveyed its serious concerns to Beijing, describing the incident as ‘utterly unacceptable’.”
It is clear that a dimension of this interaction includes a tit-for-tat escalation of military platforms probing sensitive areas for each respective country.
Secondly, Japan is in a power transition. Ishiba Shigeru came to power as Japan’s Prime Minister 1 October 2024, replacing Fumio Kishida. The fact that the transit occurred while Kishida was still prime minister gives Shigeru more maneuver space to amplify or attenuate the activity. Yet all signs point to the new PM taking a more assertive role in regional affairs with a more muscular Japanese response.
As Matt Turpin (also on Substack) astutely points out:
“...Ishiba has been a member of the Japanese Diet since 1986 and has held numerous cabinet roles including Defense and Agriculture Minister. He is known for his interest in history and military affairs, as well as his long-time commitment to strengthening Japan-Taiwan relations.
In fact, he announced his run for leadership of the LDP during a visit to Taipei just a few weeks ago. No doubt this will cause the Chinese Communist Party to lash out even more aggressively.”
Japan has elected leadership more willing to stand up against the CCP.
Third, Tokyo and Washington continue their conversations about increased military cooperation. In particular, US officials have discussed with their Japanese counterparts the deployment of US Army Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) units.
While most writing on these talks focused on the Typhon (an Army missile system capable of firing long range Tomahawks or SM-6 interceptors), an MDTF has numerous capabilities which are still currently being modernized and fielded.
Army MDTF units stationed in Japan would accomplish three major objectives. First, the MDTF can protect Japanese citizens and territory from damage by Chinese firepower strikes. Second, the MDTF can protect Japanese and American military forces from Chinese precision strikes. Third and perhaps most important from the PLA’s perspective, MDTF units can execute offensive missile strikes against vulnerable PRC targets like ports attempting to load combat troops, command centers, or potential PLA Army lodgment areas on Taiwan.
Aside from the above tactical reasons, there is a larger strategic cause. Beijing has made it clear to Asia, absent a major policy reversal, that China intends to dominate the Western Pacific by force if necessary.
Tokyo will never submit to such a situation - as played out in wars across 1274, 1281, 1592, 1597, 1894, and 1937-1945, Japan and China will go to great lengths to remain independent of each other.
What is the JS Sazanami’s lineage?
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer (DD) Sazanami
The JS Sazanami that steamed through the Taiwan Strait in September is a modern guided missile destroyer. Throughout history there have been at least three Japanese warships bearing the name Sazanami or 漣. The Japanese character means ripples or small waves.
The corresponding Chinese character 漣 (lian) has the same meanings to include an additional one: the constant flow of human tears. Regardless of language, the character conjures up an image of military power moving smoothly across the water.
The original birth of the Sazanami occurred in Great Britain. She was one of the first modern Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) destroyers. Yarrow Shipbuilders of London laid down, launched, and completed this entire class for the IJN. Conducting what could be considered her sea trials, Sazanami set off on her maiden voyage in 1899 from London to Sasebo, Japan.
Yarrow Shipbuilders continues to our modern time, now as a subsidiary of BAE Systems Marine.
The first Sazanami would have quite a career. She participated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5. This included naval action off Port Arthur sinking Russian destroyers, supporting a major ground action crossing the Yalu river, and participating in one of the most decisive naval battles in history: the Battle of Tsushima/Battle of the Sea of Japan.
Across many of these actions, Sazanami was fighting primarily Russian forces, but across what is today Chinese territory. Port Arthur is present-day Lüshunkou District, Dalian City. Sazanami was supporting the movement of Japanese ground troops across the Yalu river from Korea into Russian-held China.
The second birth of the Sazanami occurred in her home country of Japan and was even less felicitous to China’s fortunes than the first ship. Maizuru Naval Arsenal (owned by the IJN) laid down, launched, and completed the second Sazanami in 1931. When commissioned into service, this new class of destroyers were arguably amongst the most powerful in the world in the 1930s.
She served as part of the IJN 2nd Fleet task forces responsible for the Japanese amphibious assaults at Shanghai, Hangzhou, and numerous other landings across southern China.
By 1941 she was assigned mostly escort duties across the Pacific and in 1944 the American submarine USS Albacore sank Sazanami near Yap in Micronesia.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries laid down and launched the third Sazanami, with her commissioning into the JMSDF in 2005. Her first duty station was Escort Flotilla 2 based out of Sasebo; the same city the first Sazanami traveled to in 1899.
The third Sazanami also has a surprising history. She was the first JMSDF vessel to deliver disaster aid to the PRC following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake as well as the first Japanese military vessel to dock in mainland China since WWII.
A Subtle Message
Japan is probably trying to message China by utilizing the heritage of the Sazanami. From one Asian society to another, the history of their shared region is ever relevant to daily life across the Western Pacific.
The history of Sazanami is clear: Japan has fought China successfully for over 100 years. Often, Japan has powerful allies assisting it and is able to inflict unbearable damage against China. However, there is the opportunity to turn a new page. The warship that caused so much turmoil in China also offered aid and comfort during a time of grief assisting their neighbor in rebuilding after a great earthquake.
The choice is Beijing’s.