Defense & Security

4 Chinese Ships Sail in Japanese Waters near Senkakus

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
An aerial view of some of the Senkaku Islands

Jiji Press

11:32 JST, June 22, 2023

Naha, Okinawa Pref., June 21 (Jiji Press) — Four Chinese coast guard ships sailed in Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa for around two hours Wednesday.

This was the 18th intrusion into Japanese waters by official Chinese vessels this year, with the previous case on June 9.

The Japanese-administered islands are claimed by China, which calls them Diaoyu.

According to the Japan Coast Guard’s 11th regional headquarters in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, the four Haijing vessels entered Japanese waters west-southwest of Uotsurijima in the Senkaku chain between around 4 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.

The ships left the waters between around 5:45 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. south of Minamikojima, also in the chain.