China and Japan traded sharply conflicting accounts Tuesday over a maritime confrontation near the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, escalating already strained ties as both governments issued formal statements asserting territorial claims. The clash, involving coast-guard vessels and a Japanese fishing boat in the East China Sea, unfolded amid heightened diplomatic friction following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks suggesting Tokyo could consider military action if China attacked Taiwan.
China's Coast Guard said the Japanese fishing vessel had "illegally entered the territorial waters of China's Diaoyu Dao" and claimed its patrol officers "approached and warned off" the craft. Spokesperson Liu Dejun said the agency undertook "necessary law enforcement measures," insisting the islands "are Chinese territory" and urging Japan to "immediately stop all acts of infringement and provocation in these waters," according to state media.
Japan offered a directly opposing narrative. Its Coast Guard said two Chinese Coast Guard ships entered what Tokyo calls Japanese waters in the early hours of Tuesday and approached the Japanese fishing vessel. The Japan Coast Guard said it issued a demand that the Chinese ships leave and that its patrol vessel remained on scene "until the CCG left the territory a few hours later." Officials said the encounter ended only after the Japanese side ensured the fishing boat's safety.
The competing versions come as political tensions between the two Asian powers worsen. During a November parliamentary exchange, Prime Minister Takaichi-long known as a sharp critic of Beijing's regional activities-said a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could require a military response from Japan. China considers Taiwan its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to "reunite" with the island.
Since those comments, both capitals have issued increasingly confrontational rhetoric, tightening the diplomatic standoff. Analysts say the dispute is affecting everyday interactions between the countries' citizens as nationalist sentiment rises on both sides.
The confrontation underscores the volatility surrounding the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, uninhabited but strategically significant. While China and Japan agreed in principle in 2008 to jointly develop East China Sea resources, Chinese Coast Guard patrols have surged over the past decade. Last year, Chinese government vessels were spotted near the islands for a record number of days, marking the third consecutive year of new highs.
Before Tuesday's incident, the China Coast Guard last entered the waters on November 16, calling that mission "a lawful patrol operation conducted by the China coast guard to uphold its rights and interests."
