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8. China govt. ships seen near Japan's Senkaku Islands almost every day in 2024
Japan Coast Guard officials say Chinese government ships were spotted in the contiguous zone just outside Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea in 2024 on a record 353 days, exceeding last year's 352.
The officials say four Chinese government ships were navigating in the contiguous zone as of 12 a.m. on Sunday. This brings the number of days on which Chinese ships were spotted in the zone to the highest ever since 2008, when such vessels were first confirmed navigating there.
The officials say they confirmed 39 cases as of Saturday where Chinese government vessels entered Japan's territorial waters around the Senkakus. That is almost the same number as in the past few years.
They also say that among them, there were 18 cases in which the vessels tried to approach Japanese fishing boats in the territorial waters, tying the record high marked in 2021.
Japan controls the Senkaku Islands. China and Taiwan claim them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory, in terms of history and international law. It says there is no issue of sovereignty to be resolved over them.
Senior Japan Coast Guard official Sakamoto Seishiro, said the situation remains grave, but vowed to ramp up monitoring and vigilance under the policy of firmly protecting Japan's territorial land and waters, so as not to overlook any slight changes.
He added that the Coast Guard will continue to respond calmly and resolutely to safeguard Japan's territorial waters while closely coordinating with relevant organizations.
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