China carries out a live-fire naval drill within Japan’s claimed exclusive economic zone (EEZ), according to Japanese officials and media reports. Tokyo says the exercise took place on Sunday and is the first time Japan’s defence ministry has detected and publicly disclosed a live-firing drill by China in its EEZ. Reports place the location about 180 kilometres southwest of Okinotori, Japan’s southernmost island, with a Chinese missile destroyer and other vessels involved. Tokyo lodges a diplomatic protest, saying the drill could create navigation risks and raise safety concerns for ships and aircraft in the area. Beijing dismisses Japan’s protest, arguing Japan’s EEZ claim is not legally valid. The incident is discussed in the context of increasing China-Russia military coordination, with the drill linked to joint exercises. It also revives the longstanding dispute over the legal status of Okinotori and how it affects maritime entitlements. In the broader regional setting, the episode occurs amid heightened maritime tensions in East Asia and following recent clashes involving other countries in nearby waters.