Chinese Ships Breach Japanese Waters Near Disputed Senkaku Islands

The Chinese Coast Guard ships extended their stays near the Senkaku Island region which led Japan to lodge formal diplomatic objections. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Monday that China’s maritime expansion near the disputed islands is rapidly intensifying to create more international political instability.

The ships stayed 92 hours inside Japanese waters for the first time since Japan acquired the islands in September 2012. The incident peaked when Japanese maritime borders observed four Chinese ships with two of them staying steady at their location. Iwaya spoke directly with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Saturday when he stressed Japan’s serious concerns about China’s military activities at sea.

During this incident the involved Japanese and Chinese diplomats started their official talks at the same time. The Japanese government handles the situation steadily and protests against ongoing maritime trespasses. The long-time presence of Chinese ships forces Japan to defend its territory while adding strain to international tensions around territorial claims within the East China Sea.