A confrontation erupted between Chinese and Japanese coast guard ships around a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea, following an incident a few days earlier where Chinese coast guard personnel attacked a Filipino ship in the South China Sea, according to statements from both countries.
The coast guards of both nations regularly patrol the contested maritime areas between them, including the islands where the recent confrontations occurred. These islands are known as the Senkaku by Tokyo and the Diaoyu by Beijing.
China announced on Monday that it had taken “necessary control measures” and expelled four Japanese fishing vessels and several patrol boats between June 20 and 24. A spokesperson for the Chinese coast guard stated, “We urge Japan to immediately cease all unlawful activities in the area and ensure that similar incidents do not occur again.”
In a separate press release late yesterday, the Japanese coast guard said, “Two of the four Chinese coast guard ships in the area approached Japanese fishing vessels operating in the territorial waters surrounding the islands despite being warned repeatedly to stay away and leave.”
source: lualuatv
