| Tuesday, February 9, 2010 |
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TOKYO – 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 which country the intruder was from.
Tokyo put its navy on alert Wednesday after spotting the submarine off the 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 said.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said the government was trying to confirm the vessel's identify, but he added that sometimes it helped to be vague.
"There are security issues involved. Sometimes it is better to not say things very clearly," Koizumi said.
Asked if Japan's navy was having trouble identifying the vessel, Koizumi said: "No. It's good to have advanced abilities, but sometimes it's better not to know how advanced those abilities are."
He added Japan would take "appropriate action" when it confirmed the mystery sub's identity.
Hosoda 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."
Japanese public broadcaster NHK said defense officials suspected it was a Chinese Han-class nuclear submarine, based on an analysis of the sounds it was making.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said she did not know if the vessel was Chinese.
"The Chinese side is now paying close attention to this issue and I do not approve or encourage any random suppositions on this question," Zhang told reporters. "As to whether this is a Chinese submarine, I do not know and I cannot provide you any information on this."
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 with Beijing over natural gas deposits in the East China Sea that has deepened in recent months.
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 do not concern Japan, and it has rejected offering more information.
Noting the submarine might belong to China, a high-ranking Taiwanese official said the incident was a reminder that military authorities in Asia need to communicate better.
"It seems that the two militaries are getting closer and closer," said Joseph Wu, Taiwan's top official responsible for China policy. "If there's some kind of accident, it's not going to be good for anyone."
Wu added: "There needs to be more contacts among militaries in the region."
