Japan destroyer passes through Taiwan Strait for first time, newspaper reports

Attempting to send a message to China, Japan's Self Defense Force has patrolled the Taiwan Strait for the first time, according to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri.

Japan destroyer passes through Taiwan Strait for first time, newspaper reports

Japan's Self Defense Force patrolled the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday for the first time in an attempt to send a message to China, the Yomiuri newspaper, reported citing multiple government sources.

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SDF destroyer Sazanami entered the waters from the East China Sea on Wednesday morning, spending more than 10 hours sailing southward to complete the passage, the Japanese newspaper reported on Thursday.

The passage was conducted in concert with naval ships from Australia and New Zealand, the paper said.

An SDF official declined to comment on the report.