Japan claims Chinese ships entered its territorial waters near Senkaku Islands: Report

In the latest intrusion attempt, two Chinese ships reportedly entered Japan's territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands on Monday, The Japanese authorities have alleged that two Chinese patrol ships were detected in the ‘contiguous zone’. The ships then entered the area which is claimed by Japan near the island and even tried to approach a Japanese fishing boat, ANI reported citing NHK Broadcaster. 

In November, Japanese authorities claimed that four Chinese vessels had entered near the disputed Senkaku Islands, ANI cited a Japanese media report. It is pertinent to mention here that Senkaku Islands are claimed by both Japan and China. The dispute over Senkaku Islands further rose in 2012 when the Japanese government bought three of the five islands from the private owner, as per the ANI report. In November, a Japanese official had voiced concerns over the increasing military activity of China during a virtual meeting with a Chinese official. 

Japan expresses concern over repeated entry of Chinese ships into its water 

Earlier in November, Takehiro Funakoshi, head of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, expressed concern over the repeated entry of Chinese ships into Japanese waters, ANI reported citing a Kyodo News report. Takehiro Funakoshi expressed his views during a virtual meeting with Hong Liang, director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs. Funakoshi said that the Chinese vessels have been repeatedly entering the Japanese water near the Senkaku Islands in the East China sea. Funakoshi called on the Chinese diplomat to ensure self-constraint from the Beijing side.

The Japanese Ministry has informed that Takehiro Funakoshi and Hong Liang during the virtual meeting in November, agreed to talk in order to have “constructive and sustainable” bilateral ties, ANI cited Kyodo News report. During the meeting, both sides also agreed to the creation of an emergency hotline between Japan’s Self Defence Forces and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Since Fumio Kishida took over as Japanese Prime Minister, it was the first meeting between the two senior officials of China and Japan. Earlier, the officials from China and Japan had a meeting in June.

(Inputs from ANI)