China Coast Guard Vessels Enter Waters Near Japan-Administered Senkaku Islands Amid Rising Tensions

China Coast Guard convoy sails through waters near Japan-administered Senkaku Islands

A group of China Coast Guard vessels passed through the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands on Sunday during what Beijing described as an “administrative law-enforcement patrol.” The latest incident comes amid intensifying tensions between China and Japan following remarks by Japan’s prime minister concerning Taiwan.

Diplomatic friction has grown sharply since November 7, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament that any hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo. Beijing reacted angrily to the statement, hinting that it expected Takaichi to retract her comments in some form.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. The island lies only about 110 km (68 miles) from Japanese territory.

In its statement, the China Coast Guard said that the vessel “CCG 1307 conducted a patrol in the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Islands,” using China’s name for the Senkaku chain. “This was a lawful patrol to safeguard China’s rights and interests,” it added.

China and Japan have had repeated face-offs around the disputed islands, known as the Diaoyu in China and the Senkaku in Japan.

The Japanese Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pressure on Japan has mounted since Takaichi’s remarks. The Chinese Consul General in Osaka triggered outrage after declaring, “A head that sticks out must be cut off,” prompting Tokyo to lodge a formal protest.

Beijing then summoned the Japanese ambassador for the first time in more than two years, and China’s defense ministry declared that any Japanese interference would “end in failure.”

On Friday, China warned its citizens against traveling to Japan, after which Tokyo urged Beijing to take “appropriate measures,” without providing specifics.

Three Chinese airlines announced on Saturday that tickets to Japan could be refunded or changed free of charge.

In Taiwan, the defense ministry reported Sunday morning that 30 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels had been detected around the island within the previous 24 hours.

Late Saturday, the ministry said China was conducting another “joint combat patrol,” accusing Beijing of “harassing our surrounding airspace and seas.” Taiwan said it dispatched its own aircraft and ships to monitor the situation. Taipei reports such Chinese patrols roughly twice a month, calling them part of a sustained pressure campaign.

Taiwan’s government maintains that only the island’s people can decide its future.

Japanese leaders have previously avoided explicitly mentioning Taiwan when discussing potential security scenarios, maintaining a degree of “strategic ambiguity,” a position also supported by Japan’s key security ally, the United States.