China, Japan coastguard ships in another face-off near disputed Diaoyu Islands
- Chinese coastguard says Japanese vessels ‘illegally’ entered its territorial waters
- It comes two weeks after a similar confrontation over the uninhabited island chain
The island chain is claimed by China and Japan, where it is known as the Senkaku Islands.
According to the Chinese coastguard, three Japanese ships and several patrol ships “illegally” entered the territorial waters of the Diaoyus on Monday.
Chinese coastguard spokesman Gan Yu said they “took action in accordance with the law and necessary control measures”, without elaborating. “We urge Japan to immediately stop all illegal activities in the waters and ensure that similar incidents do not happen again,” he said.
Gan said the islands were China’s inherent territory and that its coastguard vessels carried out maritime rights protection and law enforcement activities in waters under the country’s jurisdiction.
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Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin called the coastguard’s activities a “legitimate measure to safeguard sovereignty”. “Relevant Japanese parties should stop infringement and provocation in the Diaoyu Islands waters to avoid further complicating the situation,” he said.