Is Japan’s treaty-day Taiwan Strait warship transit a new flashpoint with China?

According to the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi spent 14 hours navigating the sensitive waterway on Friday, the anniversary of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki or Treaty of Maguan, an unequal treaty that forced the then-ruling Qing dynasty administration to cede Taiwan to Japanese colonial rule.In a commentary on Saturday, the military mouthpiece PLA Daily accused Tokyo of “harming the feelings of the Chinese people” by timing the transit to coincide with the anniversary.“This is not just a ‘grey zone’ tactic; it is an act that heightens global vigilance against Japan’s ‘new militarism’,” the commentary said.The People’s Liberation Army sent naval and air forces to monitor the vessel, with the defence ministry saying the PLA forces maintained “effective regulation and control”.The armed forces also released drone footage of the encounter to signal tactical dominance.