Japan has drawn a firm line on a chain of islands which is also being claimed by China. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi the country is willing to defend its territory and match China's military actions "ship for ship, and beyond."

The island chain in question is the Senkaku Islands, which is called the Diayu Islands in China. Japan said the islands are "unquestionably" within its territory and it is prepared to defend them. To match China's increased military presence in the area, Japan said it will be making significant upgrades to its capabilities.

Kishi said the country will be investing billions to expand its Self-Defense Force. This will include the construction of more state-of-the-art F-35 fighter planes and additional aircraft carriers. Japan also plans to build new submarines and destroyers to increase its naval might.

"Against Chinese action to Senkaku Islands and other parts of the East China Sea, we have to demonstrate that the government of Japan is resolutely defending our territory with the greater number of Japanese coast guard vessels than that of China," Kishi said.

 

Kishi said that the country is also strengthening its relationships with allies, who are ready to help it defend its territory. He said countries such as the U.S., the UK, France, and Germany are ready to back up Japan if China escalates the dispute.

"We will continue to conduct bilateral training with the US and multilateral training with other partners to strengthen our posture and contribute to the peace and stability of this region," Kishi said.

Both Japan and China have been laying claim to the uninhabited islands for centuries. The islands are located just 1,200 miles southwest of Tokyo and roughly 400 miles from Shanghai. Tensions over the territorial dispute increased in 2012, fueled by nationalist sentiments in China. The dispute sparked public protests in Chinese cities and a boycott of Japanese products.

Last year, China's Foreign Ministry reiterated its rightful claim to the islands, stating that they were inherently part of Chinese territory. Following the statement, China increased its military presence in the region by deploying more ships and giving its coast guard expanded powers.

Japan claims that China had conducted incursions into its maritime borders at least 88 times since the start of the year. Experts said flexing its naval might and placing forces in the disputed territory is China's way of exerting its law and strengthening its claim.