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The Chinese Coast Guard’s incursion near the disputed Senkaku Islands has sparked a reaction from Tokyo.
Chinese ships often pass near the uninhabited Senkaku Islands (here in 2016).
AFP
Japan protested on Monday after a Chinese ship cleared islands in the East China Sea administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing. Japan expressed its “great concern” through diplomatic channels to its neighbors and reiterated its demand that such incidents never happen again, Japanese government Deputy Secretary-General Seiji Kihara told reporters.
Intrusions by Chinese coast guard vessels are frequent near the uninhabited Senkaku Islands, known by Beijing as Dioyu. But this is the first time since 2018 that a Chinese warship has come this close. It entered the “contiguous zone”, a 12-nautical-mile-wide (about 22 km) boundary that extends beyond the border.
Strained relations with Russia
A Russian military boat was also spotted in the same area on Monday, according to several Japanese media outlets citing Japanese Defense Ministry sources. He has not yet confirmed this information.
At the end of May, Chinese and Russian bombers flew near Japan, which was seen as a provocation by Tokyo. The capital recently hosted the “Quad” summit, an informal alliance between the US, Japan, India and Australia aimed at balancing China in the Asia-Pacific region.
Relations between Japan and Russia have deteriorated significantly since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Tokyo joining Western sanctions against Moscow.
(AFP)
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