New Delhi, July 21 -- TOKYO - A joint Chinese-Russian naval formation conducted live-fire drills inside Japan's exclusive economic zone on Tuesday, the first time China has discharged weapons within waters Tokyo considers its sovereign maritime periphery, drawing an immediate formal protest and raising questions about how Japan can defend a legal position that the two powers have now directly tested.

The drills, confirmed by Japan's defense ministry through Reuters, involved Chinese and Russian surface vessels operating northeast of the Ryukyu Islands. The exercises included live fire and maneuvering consistent with combat rehearsal. Formal diplomatic protests were lodged with both the Chinese and Russian embassies in Tokyo before noon T...