Japan protests after unprecedented swarm of 230 Chinese vessels enter waters near Senkakus

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Chinese vessels enter Japan's waters near Senkakus


Four Chinese government vessels entered Japan's territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Sunday morning.

The Japan Coast Guard is continuing surveillance of the area, as the ships were navigating in the contiguous zone just outside Japan's waters in the afternoon.

The Chinese vessels entered Japanese waters north of Kubashima Island around 10 AM. They sailed in the waters for about one hour, and had left by 11:30 AM.

The same vessels had entered Japan's waters on Wednesday.

The Director General of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Kenji Kanasugi, lodged a protest in a telephone call to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo.

He said China's move violates Japan's sovereignty and is unacceptable.

Kanasugi said that the repeated intrusions by Chinese boats, despite Japan's strong protests, further raise tensions in the area and are totally unacceptable.

Japan controls the Senkaku Islands. The Japanese government maintains that the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. China and Taiwan claim them.

 

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Inada visits U.S. aircraft carrier, inspects MSDF base in Yokosuka

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada (third from left) inspects the helicopter carrier Izumo in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday. | KYODO

YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA PREF. – Defense Minister Tomomi Inada visited the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka on Tuesday and went aboard the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in a show of close ties between the two allies amid China’s increasingly assertive maritime activities.

Earlier, the new defense minister toured the Maritime Self-Defense Force portion of the base, her first visit to an MSDF facility since taking up her post early this month.

She inspected the 19,500-ton helicopter carrier Izumo, the MSDF’s largest warship, and instructed MSDF staff to do their utmost to conduct warning and surveillance duties amid China’s aggressiveness.

“China is continuing its unilateral attempt to change the status quo through force, by rapidly spreading and intensifying its activities in the sea and air space around our country,” Inada said in remarks to MSDF personnel.

“I will also work on strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance,” she said, adding that the alliance plays an “extremely important role” in ensuring peace and stability of the Asian-Pacific region and the international community.

In the afternoon, Inada met with Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, and Rear Adm. Matthew Carter, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Japan, aboard the Ronald Reagan.

Inada is known for her rapport with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on security and foreign policy and has been outspoken on historical issues involving Japan’s Asian neighbors. She had earlier been chairwoman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Policy Research Council and administrative reform minister.

 

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Kishida aims to lodge Senkakus protest with Wang



Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is hoping to hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Tokyo. He intends to protest repeated intrusions by Chinese patrol ships into Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea are due to hold trilateral talks on Wednesday in the Japanese capital. Wang is to visit Japan for the first time since he took office in 2013.

Japanese foreign ministry officials say negotiations are underway to set up separate bilateral meetings between Kishida and Wang, as well as with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.

The officials say if the bilateral meeting with Wang takes place, Kishida intends to urge him that China must exert self-restraint over the Senkakus.

Japan controls the Senkaku Islands. It says these are Japan's inherent territory. China and Taiwan claim them.

The officials say Kishida would also call on China to abide by international law over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Kishida told reporters on Monday that he wants to convey Japan's position to Wang in a clear and direct manner, over pending issues between the 2 countries.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has said that Wang is making the visit in response to Japan's request to attend multilateral talks, not a bilateral framework.

Senior Japanese foreign ministry officials say they want to find common ground with China through dialogue, regardless of any unresolved issues. They suggested that Japan intends to improve soured ties with China through repeated dialogue.

 

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Inada seeks stronger Japan-US alliance


Japan's new Defense Minister Tomomi Inada has called for a stronger Japan-US alliance to boost deterrence, as China steps up its presence in regional waters.

Inada on Tuesday visited a Maritime Self-Defense Force base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo. She inspected the new large destroyer Izumo, and was briefed on the force's patrol activities.

Inada later spoke in front of about 200 personnel. She said China is continuing its unilateral attempts to change the status quo by rapidly spreading and intensifying its activities in the sea and air space around Japan.

She urged the personnel to remain on alert as they carry out their maritime defense duties.

Inada also visited a nearby US naval base where she boarded the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan and met with US commanders.

She later told reporters it is important to deal calmly with China's maritime activities. But she stressed that Japan's increasingly severe security environment underscores the urgency of national defense and a strong Japan-US alliance.

 

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Japan Coast Guard to buy 3 large patrol vessels


Japan's Coast Guard has requested a budget that covers the partial cost of 3 new patrol vessels to boost security around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Chinese government ships have repeatedly entered Japanese waters there.

The Cabinet approved the Coast Guard's draft supplementary budget totaling 67.4 billion yen, or 674 million dollars, on Wednesday.

390 million dollars is earmarked for 3 ships, including a 6,500-ton patrol vessel equipped with a helipad and advanced search and surveillance capability.

38 million dollars would be spent on the deployment of 5 patrol boats to Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture ahead of schedule.

These vessels will be used to crack down on illegal operations by Chinese fishing boats around the Senkakus.

China's maritime activity around the Senkakus has intensified since the Japanese government bought some of the islands from a private owner in 2012. Japan controls the islands. The government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory.
China and Taiwan claim them.

The Coast Guard plans to spend 34 million dollars to introduce 8 vessels for anti-terrorism operations in connection with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.