Defense & Security

Chinese govt ships stay in Japanese waters for over 72 hours

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture

Jiji Press

19:46 JST, December 25, 2022

NAHA (Jiji Press) — Chinese government ships left Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday after staying there for 72 hours and 45 minutes in total.

This was the longest such intrusion since Japan’s nationalization of the islands in 2012. The previous record was 64 hours and 17 minutes, set in July.

According to the Japan Coast Guard’s 11th regional headquarters in Naha, a Chinese coast guard vessel entered Japanese waters at around 9:35 a.m. Thursday. Two other Haijing ships crossed into the waters later as the first one was leaving.

The two ships stayed in the waters until 10:15 a.m.-10:20 a.m. Sunday.

During the latest intrusion, the 29th this year, the Chinese government ships sailed close to a Japanese fishing boat.