China’s coast guard announced Thursday that it had “expelled” a Japanese ship that had entered waters near disputed islands, as Beijing advances its regional territorial claims.
The uninhabited islands, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, are claimed by Beijing but governed by Tokyo, and they are a regular source of friction in bilateral relations.
According to Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for the Beijing coast guard, a Japanese fishing vessel “illegally entered territorial waters” around the islands between Tuesday and Wednesday.
In an online post, Liu stated that the coast guard “took necessary control measures in accordance with the law, warned (the ship) and expelled it”.
“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.
“Chinese coast guard ships will continue to carry out maritime rights protection and law enforcement activities… to safeguard national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests.”
On Thursday, Japan’s coast guard announced that its patrol ships were watching four Chinese coast guard warships near the islands.
According to the report, a Japanese fishing boat was operating around 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) west of the group’s main island as of 9 a.m. (0100 GMT) Wednesday.
Beijing has repeatedly stated this year that it has drove Japanese boats away from the islands.
However, Japanese officials have informed AFP that Chinese authorities sometimes declare expulsions when none really occur.
In recent months, China has advanced its broad territorial claims in the East and South China Seas more forcefully.
It has notably revived a long-standing conflict with the Philippines over sovereignty of disputed reefs and shoals in the latter’s canal.
On Monday, Beijing also conducted military drills surrounding Taiwan, a self-ruled island that it claims as part of its sovereignty and has refused to abandon using force to conquer.
China and Japan, longtime competitors in East Asia, are important trading partners, but their relationship is complicated by Beijing’s regional rise to importance, Tokyo’s relationships with Western states, and its imperial history.
Japan protested after China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean last month, and Beijing restricted Japanese seafood imports in retaliation for Tokyo’s decision to discharge treated water from the decommissioned Fukushima nuclear power station into the sea.