Miyako Strait Explained

The, also known as the Kerama Gap, is a waterway which lies between Miyako Island and Okinawa Island consisting of a 250km-wide passageway with international waters and airspace.^[1] It is the widest strait in the Ryukyu Islands.

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.^[2] The PLA Navy used the strait on a large scale for the first time in April 2010,^[3] an act which has since become a commonplace practice for them to conduct military exercises in the Pacific.^{[4] [5]}

Cultural significance

The Miyako Strait represents a cultural and linguistic split between the Southern and Northern Ryukyuan languages, with the north being more influenced by Japanese culture. The Northern Ryukyu Islands have historically been more advanced (socially, technologically, and infrastructurally) than the Southern Ryukyu Islands.^[6]

References

25.3833°N 151°W

Notes and References

1. News: China Flies 6 Heavy Long-Range Bombers Near Japan. Diplomat. Franz-Stefan Gady, The. The Diplomat. 2018-02-27. en-US.
2. News: 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. 26 September 2016.
3. https://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/04/chinas-navy-gets-its-act-together-and-gets-aggressive/ China's Navy Gets Its Act Together, and Gets Aggressive | Danger Room | Wired.com
4. https://web.archive.org/web/20141103064103/http://english.cri.cn/6909/2012/10/10/2982s726293.htm China Says No Japan Maritime Deal in Place
5. http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20131104000014&cid=1101 US can no longer contain China within First Island Chain: Duowei
6. Kerr, George H. Okinawa: History of an Island People. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1958. 116-117.