China and Russia launched their largest-ever joint naval drills Friday. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on the same day that Japan is very concerned about the joint drills. Japan's Self Defense Force has reportedly sent warplanes to closely monitor movements in the region.

Tokyo is inclined to overreact to Chinese military moves, and its latest response is not unexpected. Nonetheless, the Sea of Japan mostly consists of international waters. The presence of Chinese military vessels there is reasonable, though irritating in the eyes of some countries.

Previously, China had always worried that launching a joint military exercise might peeve some countries, and was extremely cautious about carrying out the move. But this failed to gain equal consideration from some other countries which are unaccustomed to outgoing Chinese vessels, but see their own military drills at China's doorsteps as a common practice.

Chinese vessels should pass through the Sea of Japan more frequently. Hunchun in Northeast China's Jilin Province is less than 20 kilometers from the Sea of Japan at its closest point.

 And along with the opening-up of the Arctic sea route, more Chinese commercial ships will pass through the Sea of Japan, which has been a significant trade route for China. Safeguarding the security of maritime passage is one important aspect of the latest joint military drills.

The concerns of surrounding countries are rooted in what they imagine to be appropriate boundaries. Such assumptions are often not in accordance with the real boundaries marked by international law. Sometimes they criticize China for crossing boundaries, while China is only taking legal and reasonable actions. Meanwhile, they turn a blind eye to US actions which violate international law.

China should endeavor to reshape these psychological boundaries in the international community. China's insistence on fighting for its legal rights will ultimately be accepted. Practical benefits brought by China's development will also ease external anxieties over China's rise.

There is no need for Japan to be nervous. China's interests are already spread all over the world. In the future, its influence will be introduced to not only the Sea of Japan, but also the Indian Ocean, the West Pacific, and even the Mediterranean.

But currently, China's geopolitical strategy is still limited to Asia. China is being set a new mission by this era. We should break the old mentality and think about strategic deployment in not only Asia, but also the rest of the world. China has the potential to become a non-hegemonic global power. Such potential, if not wasted, would be a great contribution to mankind.