Japan has lodged a protest with China after the PLA's Liaoning aircraft carrier and accompanying destroyers passed close to Japan's southwestern islands and Taiwan, citing security concerns. Meanwhile, a US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait, reinforcing the US commitment to free international airspace, which led to Chinese fighters tailing the aircraft. China, which claims Taiwan and its surrounding waters, labeled these actions by the US and Germany as provocative, with German warships recently navigating the strait for the first time in two decades. The heightened military activity in the region underscores the ongoing tensions over territorial claims and the strategic importance of the Taiwan Strait.