China’s coastguard has reported it ordered a Japanese fishing vessel to leave its territorial waters after it “illegally” entered a disputed area near the East China Sea islands.
The uninhabited islands — known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan — are claimed by Beijing but administered by Tokyo and are a frequent hotspot in bilateral tensions.
According to a spokesperson for Beijing’s coast guard, Liu Dejun, a Japanese fishing vessel had “illegally entered territorial waters” around the islands from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The coast guard “took necessary control measures in accordance with the law, warned (the ship) and expelled it”, Liu said in an online statement.
“The Diaoyu and affiliated islands are China’s inherent territory, and we urge the Japanese side to immediately stop all illegal activities in these waters,” he said.
Japan has not yet responded to the latest incident in the disputed waters.
The Japanese government has consistently rejected China’s claims over the uninhabited islands, which are believed to have potential undersea oil and gas reserves.
Tensions between Japan and China in the disputed waters have been high, with several confrontations in recent months.
In April, China’s coastguard confronted Japanese lawmakers conducting an inspection near the islands, an act China described as “infringement and provocation.”
In recent months, China has pressed its sweeping territorial claims in the East and South China Seas more stridently.
It has notably reignited a years-long dispute with the Philippines over control of contested reefs and shoals in the latter’s waterway.
Beijing on Monday also held military drills around Taiwan, the self-ruled island it claims as part of its territory and has refused to renounce using force to seize one day.
Perennial rivals in East Asia, China and Japan are major trade partners, but their relationship is complicated by Beijing’s regional rise to prominence, Tokyo’s alliances with Western nations and its imperial history.
Japan lodged protests after China tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean last month, and Beijing banned Japanese seafood imports in retaliation for Tokyo’s decision to release treated water from the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.
