Japanese and Chinese Coast Guard Face Off in Disputed Island Chain

There was a new confrontation on Tuesday morning, December 2, as China continues its expansionist policies, claiming larger areas in the surrounding waters, but unlike other recent events, this one was with the Japanese. The two sides are telling different versions of the incident.

Japan and China have long been at odds over a small group of islands known by the Chinese as Diaoyu Islands, while the Japanese, who assert the administration of the area, refer to the islands as Senkaku. Similar to the disputed area with the Philippines, this group is a small area of just five uninhabited islands and three reefs. They sit just over 100 miles east of Taiwan and just over 250 miles to the west of Okinawa, Japan.

Tensions have long brewed over the region, which is reported to have oil and natural gas assets as well as rich fishing areas. The countries agreed nearly 20 years ago to jointly develop the resources of the area, but China has published new maps seeking to expand its region of control.

The long-simmering tensions, however, have increased over the past six weeks as Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has vowed a strong response to the Chinese. In November, just days into her new role, she said Japan might have to militarily defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression.

The only thing the two sides agree on in today’s event is that there was a Japanese fishing boat in the area. The Japanese Coast Guard says it detected Chinese vessels on the so-called “rights-protection patrols.” China is reported to have four Coast Guard vessels on one of these patrols that began in mid-November.

The Japanese say they warned the Chinese Coast Guard not to approach the fishing boat. They report positioning between the Chinese vessels and the fishing boat and intercepting two China Coast Guard vessels. The Japanese report that they stayed with the fishing boat until the Chinese withdrew.

Official Chinese channels, however, are saying they expelled the Japanese fishing boat. They are claiming the Japanese fishing boat illegally entered China’s area and that they conducted a “rights-defending law enforcement operation.”  They assert that it is inherently Chinese territory and that they warned the Japanese to leave the area.

Japan claims China has increased the frequency of its presence in the area, conducting 350 trips around the islands last year. They report China had a presence around the islands for a total of 215 days. The previous patrol in July had also raised concerns with China saying it was acting to stop the illegal Japanese boats in the region.