On March 15, the Chinese coast guard announced that it had carried out a routine patrol in the waters near the Diaoyu Islands to protect China’s sovereignty and maritime rights. According to a spokesperson for the Chinese coast guard, Gan Yu, the patrol was in response to the intrusion of a Japanese yacht and several patrol vessels into Chinese waters. The Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islands are considered an inherent part of Chinese territory. Japan’s claims over the islands are contested by China, and China accuses Japan of distorting historical facts. The Chinese coast guard’s actions are likely to further heighten tensions between the two countries, who have a history of territorial disputes.
According to NHK, on the morning of March 15, two Chinese Coast Guard ships entered the waters of the Diaoyu Islands. The Japan Coast Guard repeatedly warned the Chinese vessels to leave and demanded their immediate departure.
The Japan Coast Guard’s 11th Regional Headquarters stated that at around 9 a.m. local time on March 15, four China Coast Guard ships were navigating in the connecting waters outside Japanese territorial waters, with two of them entering the waters of Nanxiao Island of the Diaoyu Islands, “invading Japanese territorial waters.”
At around 9:20 a.m., the two ships were sailing in the southeastern waters of Nanxiao Island, about 20 kilometers away from a Japanese high-speed boat.
The China Coast Guard fleet had previously conducted patrols in the waters of the Diaoyu Islands on January 10 and February 24.