Japan, China Trade Accusations After Coast Guard Standoff Near Disputed East China Sea Islands

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Japanese and Chinese coast guard vessels confronted each other near disputed islands in the East China Sea on Tuesday, with both governments accusing the other of violating territorial waters and claiming they had forced the opposing side's vessels to withdraw.

The latest maritime incident unfolded around the uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, a longstanding flashpoint in bilateral relations that has repeatedly sparked diplomatic and security tensions.

Japan's Coast Guard said it expelled two Chinese coast guard vessels after they approached a Japanese fishing boat operating near the islands.

According to the agency, four Chinese vessels had been sailing in the area before two entered what Tokyo considers its territorial waters. Japanese authorities said coast guard ships ordered the Chinese vessels to leave and successfully drove them out by around 9:20 a.m. local time (0020 GMT).

The coast guard also deployed patrol vessels around the Japanese fishing boat to ensure its safety during the encounter.

Tokyo described the Chinese vessels' actions as a violation of international law and said it would continue responding "calmly and resolutely" under both domestic and international law to safeguard its territorial waters.

China's Coast Guard offered a sharply different account, saying a Japanese fishing vessel, identified as Zuihou Maru, had illegally entered waters surrounding the disputed islands.

In a statement, the Chinese agency said its vessels took the "necessary measures" to warn the fishing boat and expel it from what Beijing regards as its territorial waters.

The competing claims underscore the persistent dispute over sovereignty in the East China Sea, where coast guard and maritime patrol vessels from both countries frequently shadow one another around the contested islands.

Although encounters between Japanese and Chinese vessels are common, it is relatively unusual for Chinese coast guard ships to closely approach Japanese fishing boats operating in the area.

The incident marks the latest escalation in a dispute that has endured for decades over the strategically located islands, which lie between Taiwan and Japan's Okinawa prefecture.

In addition to their strategic position, the surrounding waters are believed to contain potentially significant oil and natural gas reserves, adding to their geopolitical importance.

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have remained strained in recent months following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concerning Taiwan that drew sharp criticism from China.

Maritime encounters around the disputed islands have continued despite repeated diplomatic protests from both sides, highlighting the enduring volatility of one of East Asia's most sensitive territorial disputes.