Miyako Strait
The Miyako Strait (宮古海峡 Miyako Kaikyo) is a waterway which lies between Miyako Island and Okinawa Island, it is the widest strait in Okinawa Prefecture.
Political significance
The Miyako Strait is of global geopolitical significance, as it is one of the few international waterways for China's People's Liberation Army Navy to access the Pacific Ocean from the East China Sea.[1] Japan insists that China has committed to informing them in advance if their Navy sails through the strait, a claim that the Chinese deny has ever been agreed upon. The PLA Navy used the strait on a large scale for the first time in April 2010,[2] an act which has since become a commonplace practice for them to conduct military exercises in the Pacific.[3][4]
Cultural significance
The Miyako Strait represents a cultural and linguistic split from Southern and Northern Ryukyuan languages, with the north being more heavily influenced by Kagoshima (Satsuma) and Japanese culture in general.
References
- ↑ "China dispatches one of its largest air force fleets ever near Okinawa in show of force to Japan". South China Morning Post. 25 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ↑ China's Navy Gets Its Act Together, and Gets Aggressive | Danger Room | Wired.com
- ↑ China Says No Japan Maritime Deal in Place
- ↑ US can no longer contain China within First Island Chain: Duowei. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
Coordinates: 25°23′N 126°25′E / 25.383°N 126.417°E