Two heavily armed Chinese coast guard vessels have been tracked in what Tokyo considers to be territorial waters around the disputed Senkaku Islands, according to the Japanese coast guard.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Japan administers the uninhabited islands, which China and Taiwan have long claimed—calling them the Diaoyu and Diaoyutai, respectively. Japan’s nationalization of the islands in 2012 prompted China to step up its activities in the area.
The latest patrols come against a backdrop of tensions between the U.S. ally over China’s military buildup. Analysts say China is using its coast guard to normalize its presence in disputed waters through “gray zone” actions that stop short of what would likely trigger a military response.
What To Know
The pair of Chinese coast guard cutters crossed into Japan-claimed territorial waters—which extend 12 nautical miles, or about 14 miles, from shore—near the Senkaku Islands early Wednesday morning, Japan’s coast guard told local media.
The vessels, both of which were equipped with deck-mounted autocannons, attempted to approach a Japanese fishing boat operating in the area, the agency added.
Japan’s coast guard said its ships had repeatedly ordered their Chinese counterparts to leave the area and managed to prevent them from sailing closer to the fishing vessel.
Nevertheless, both Chinese ships were still operating in territorial waters as of Thursday and were again successfully blocked from intercepting a fishing boat, the agency said, criticizing the move as “a violation of international law.”
Thursday marked the third day this month that Chinese vessels were tracked in the zone.
Meanwhile, two other Chinese coast guard ships were monitored in the contiguous zone, a buffer area extending 12 nautical miles beyond the territorial waters. It marked the 234th consecutive day Chinese vessels were observed in the area—a new record.
China’s coast guard possesses more than double the number of vessels greater than 1,000 tons compared to Japan, many of them larger and more heavily armed. In 2021, Beijing passed a law authorizing its coast guard fleet to use lethal force to enforce its territorial claims, further putting Tokyo on edge.
What People Are Saying
Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on May 12 during a news conference: “The Diaoyu Islands are China’s inherent territory. The activities of China’s oceanographic research vessels in the relevant waters are entirely within the scope of China’s sovereign rights.”
Robert Ward, the Japan chair and director of the geo-economics and strategy program at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, wrote in a May article: “This form of China’s asserting of what it sees as its territorial rights is also visible in other disputed areas in the region, particularly in the South China Sea, a major thoroughfare for Japan’s sea lines of communication.”
What Happens Next
The uninhabited islands are expected to remain a point of friction between Japan and China as the latter continues its patrols.
Washington has confirmed that the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty covers the Senkaku Islands, and Japanese officials have continued to adopt a measured response, making near-term military escalation unlikely.
Kyodo via Associated Press
