Chinese navy vessels cross Japan's Strait of Osumi

The PLAN's Type 054A Zhoushan frigate (529)

Though legal under international law, the crossing was the first in nine years by Chinese vessels 

A Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) patrol aircraft spotted three Chinese warships on 29 April as they made a rare crossing through the Osumi strait off Kagoshima prefecture towards the Pacific Ocean, Japanese officials have confirmed.

The Type 054A missile frigates Zhoushan (529) and Xuzhou (530) and the electronic reconnaissance and missile tracking ship Beijixing (851) were seen 430 km west of the island of Yakushima in Kagoshima prefecture, the JMSDF said.

My article, published today in Jane's Defence Weekly, continues here (subscription required).