TOKYO, Japan: Japan has observed Chinese ships sailing near disputed islands in the East China Sea for a record 158 consecutive days, according to Tokyo’s top government spokesman, Yoshimasa Hayashi. The ongoing territorial dispute involves the Tokyo-controlled islets known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since 2012 when Japan “nationalized” some of these islands. This action led to regular protests from Japanese officials regarding the presence of Chinese coast guard and other vessels in the surrounding waters.
On Monday, Japan’s coast guard reported spotting four China Maritime Police Bureau vessels in the “contiguous” zone adjacent to Japan’s territorial sea near the island chain. Contiguous waters are defined as a 12-nautical-mile band extending beyond territorial waters.
The continuous presence of Chinese boats for 158 days surpasses the previous record of 157 days set in 2021. Hayashi emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, “The government considers this series of navigations within the contiguous zone and intrusions into territorial waters an extremely serious matter.”
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida raised concerns about the issue during a bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Seoul on Sunday. Kishida’s visit to the South Korean capital was for the first trilateral summit with Li and President Yoon Suk Yeol in nearly five years, held on Monday morning.
In April, Beijing lodged a protest with Tokyo after a group of Japanese lawmakers visited the disputed isles, an action the Chinese embassy condemned as “provocative.” Despite the tensions, the two countries have established a military hotline to prevent unexpected clashes in the East China Sea, with the first call conducted a year ago.
