A Chinese Coast Guard ship sails close to a Japanese Coast Guard ship around a group of disputed islands (Image source: Reuters)
Japan and China on Tuesday exchanged conflicting claims after a naval confrontation near disputed islands in the East China Sea, with both sides saying they forced the other’s ships to leave waters they claim as their own.The Japanese Coast Guard said it expelled two Chinese Coast Guard vessels that entered waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, after they approached a Japanese fishing vessel operating in the area.The islands lie between Taiwan and Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture, and have been at the center of a decades-long territorial dispute between Tokyo and Beijing, with tensions frequently escalated by naval patrols and diplomatic protests.
Japan says Chinese ships entered territorial waters
The Japanese Coast Guard said that four Chinese ships were operating near the islands before two of them entered what Tokyo considers its territorial waters.The Coast Guard said it had ordered the ships to leave and “successfully” forced them out of Japanese waters by 9:20 a.m. local time on Tuesday, according to AFP.It added that its ships were deployed around the Japanese fishing boat to ensure its safety, while describing the actions of the Chinese Coast Guard as a “violation of international law.”
He added, “The Japanese Coast Guard will continue to respond calmly and firmly in accordance with international and domestic law, and will take all possible measures to ensure the security of our territorial waters.”Tokyo said it was unusual for Chinese ships to approach Japanese fishing boats, even though Chinese coast guard vessels regularly patrol the disputed waters.
Beijing makes counter claims
But China presented a different version of events.The Chinese Coast Guard said it expelled a Japanese fishing vessel that “illegally entered territorial waters” near the disputed islands.The Chinese Coast Guard said in a statement, “The Japanese fishing vessel Zuihu Maru intruded into territorial waters… CCG ships took the necessary measures to warn and expel it.”
The conflict worsened Taiwan tensions
The latest confrontation comes amid already tense relations between the two Asian powers.The Senkaku-Diaoyu Islands have been a major flashpoint for decades, with China routinely sending coast guard vessels into the waters around them and Japan repeatedly protesting what it calls Beijing’s territorial incursions.Tensions have increased further since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made statements in November last year, indicating that Tokyo might intervene militarily if Taiwan was attacked.Beijing strongly criticized these statements, as China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to subject the island to its control.Following these statements, China urged its citizens to reconsider traveling to Japan and imposed trade restrictions on some Japanese companies.The East China Sea region is also of strategic importance due to its proximity to Taiwan and potential energy reserves, making naval confrontations between Chinese and Japanese ships a frequent security concern.