China Coast Guard Ships in Japan Waters for over 80 Hrs

Jiji Press

9:30 JST, April 4, 2023

NAHA (Jiji Press) — Chinese coast guard ships left Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday night after staying there for 80 hours and 36 minutes.

This was the longest such intrusion since Japan nationalized the East China Sea islands, claimed by China, in 2012. The previous record was 72 hours and 45 minutes, set in December last year.

According to the Japan Coast Guard’s 11th regional headquarters in Naha, four Haijing vessels entered Japanese waters on Thursday, between 11:08 a.m. and 11:46 a.m., including at a point south of Uotsurijima, the largest of the Senkaku Islands, which are called Diaoyu in China.

Of the four ships, one left the waters around 8:25 p.m. Saturday, while three stayed in the waters until between 7:12 p.m. and 7:44 p.m. Sunday.