Coast Guard ships patrol near Diaoyu islands

Japanese media reported that four vessels from China’s Coast Guard sailed into waters near the Diaoyu Islands. Japanese patrol ships requested that the four vessels leave. China’s Coast Guard stated that its patrols were conducted in accordance with the law.

Kyodo News reported that the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha City said four China Coast Guard vessels, equipped with autocannons, entered waters near the Diaoyu Islands one after another at around 4 p.m. yesterday. Japanese patrol ships demanded that the vessels leave what Japan considers its territorial waters. At around 5:45 p.m., the four Chinese vessels began to depart.

China’s Coast Guard issued a statement saying that the China Coast Guard vessel formation 2501 conducted a patrol yesterday within the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Islands, calling it a rights-protection patrol carried out in accordance with the law.

Kyodo’s report noted that this was the first time since the 2nd of this month that Chinese government vessels had again entered waters near the Diaoyu Islands.