Japan protests after Russia announces exercise near disputed island

Japan has lodged two protests with Russia after Moscow announced it will hold military exercises this month around islands claimed by Tokyo, the government said Monday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the protests were made on Thursday and Friday after Russia issued navigation warnings ahead of target practice exercises from Tuesday through March 1

Japan’s military, among world’s strongest, looks to build

Dozens of tanks and soldiers fired explosives and machine guns in drills Monday on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, a main stronghold for a nation that is perhaps the world’s least-known military powerhouse. Just across the sea from rival Russia, Japan opened up its humbly named Self Defense Force’s firing exercises to the media in

Russian, Chinese warships hold first joint patrols in the Pacific

Russian and Chinese warships held their first joint patrols in the Western part of the Pacific ocean on October 17-23, Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Moscow and Beijing, which staged naval cooperation drills in the Sea of Japan earlier in October, have cultivated closer military and diplomatic ties in recent years