中国空母が沖縄―宮古間南下　最大級の駆逐艦も―防衛省

　防衛省は４日、中国海軍の空母「遼寧」やレンハイ級ミサイル駆逐艦など６隻が沖縄本島と宮古島の間を南下したのを確認したと発表した。遼寧がこの海域を通過するのは昨年４月以来。領海や接続水域への侵入はなかった。
　レンハイ級は中国海軍では最大規模の駆逐艦で、先月１８日に日本近海で初めて活動が確認されていた。
　同省統合幕僚監部によると、３日午前８時ごろ、長崎県の男女群島の南西約４７０キロで６隻を確認。その後、沖縄―宮古島間の海域を南下し、太平洋へ向けて航行した。（2021/04/04-20:25）

Japan's Defense Ministry said Sunday that a fleet of six Chinese navy ships, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning, has been spotted sailing south between the main island of Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, and the island of Miyako, also in Okinawa.
   It was the first time since April last year that the Liaoning has traveled in the area.
   The fleet did not intrude into Japanese territorial waters or the surrounding contiguous zone, according to the ministry.
   The fleet included a Renhai-class missile destroyer, one of the largest destroyers for the Chinese Navy. A Renhai-class destroyer was spotted in waters around Japan for the first time on March 18.
   According to the ministry's Joint Staff, the six vessels were found at a point some 470 kilometers southwester of the Danjo island chain in Nagasaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at around 8 a.m. on Saturday (11 p.m. on Friday GMT). The fleet then headed south between the islands of Okinawa and Miyako toward the Pacific Ocean.