China and Japan have issued conflicting explanations about a tense encounter between their coast guards near a disputed island chain in the East China Sea — an area long known for triggering geopolitical friction.
China Accuses Japanese Boat of Illegal Entry
On Tuesday, China’s Coast Guard claimed that a Japanese fishing vessel had illegally entered waters around the Diaoyu Islands — the same islands Japan administers and calls the Senkaku Islands. Beijing insists the islands belong to China, even though Tokyo controls them.
According to Chinese state media, Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun said Chinese ships approached the fishing vessel and warned it to leave after it entered “the territorial waters of China’s Diaoyu Dao”. Liu added that the CCG took “necessary law enforcement measures” and urged Japan to “immediately stop all acts of infringement and provocation in these waters”.
Japan Says It Intercepted Chinese Ships
Japan presented a completely different version. Its Coast Guard said two Chinese Coast Guard ships entered Japanese waters early Tuesday, prompting Japanese patrol vessels to move in and order them to leave. The Japanese side added that its patrol ship stayed close to ensure the safety of the fishing boat until the Chinese ships withdrew a few hours later.
Tensions Already Rising Over Taiwan Comments
The incident comes at a time when relations between Tokyo and Beijing are deteriorating. Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks about Taiwan that angered China. She suggested in parliament that Japan could consider military action if Beijing launched an attack on Taiwan.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to “reunite” with it. Since Takaichi’s comments, both countries have exchanged sharper political statements, and the diplomatic rift has started affecting daily interactions between their citizens.
Disputed Islands at the Heart of the Standoff
The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands lie about 160km northeast of Taiwan and remain one of the most sensitive territorial issues between China and Japan. The islands are uninhabited, but both nations view control over them as strategically important.
Although China and Japan agreed in 2008 to jointly explore resources in the East China Sea, tensions have steadily risen since then. In recent years, China has increased the number of coast guard ships in the area, often seen as attempts to test Japan’s response. Last year, Chinese government vessels were spotted near the islands on a record number of days for the third straight year.
Before Tuesday’s encounter, the last reported entry by Chinese vessels into the surrounding waters was on 16 November, when China described its presence as “a lawful patrol operation conducted by the China coast guard to uphold its rights and interests”.
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