Ships from the coast guards of Japan and China clashed on Tuesday near the disputed islands, with each claiming to drive out the other’s ships that had entered their territorial waters.
The incident occurred near the uninhabited islands claimed by Japan’s Senkaku and China’s Diaoyu, which lie between Taiwan and Okinawa and have caused diplomatic tensions for decades.
Japan’s coast guard said it chased away two Chinese vessels as they approached a Japanese fishing vessel sailing in the area.
China’s coast guard said separately that it chased away a Japanese fishing vessel that “entered” the waters around the islands.
Relations between Japan and China have deteriorated since then Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi angered Beijing in November with comments on Taiwan.
Chinese vessels last entered the waters Japan claims as its territory on June 10, but it is rare for them to approach Japanese fishing vessels.
Japan’s coast guard said it “issued orders to leave … successfully forcing Chinese coast guard vessels to leave Japanese territorial waters at around 9:20 a.m. (0020 GMT).”
In addition, the coast guard “was stationed around the Japanese fishing vessel to ensure its safety.”
The China Coast Guard (CCG) said in its statement that “the Japanese fishing vessel Zuihou Maru entered territorial waters” and that “CCG vessels took the necessary measures to warn and expel it”.
China and Japan have long accused each other of stationing ships around the islands, sometimes resulting in dangerous blockades.
Japan’s coast guard said four Chinese vessels were sailing around the area before two entered Japanese waters, saying the action was “a violation of international law”.
It said it would “continue to respond calmly and firmly in accordance with international and domestic law, and take all possible measures to ensure the safety of our territorial waters.”
China has also sent boats into other disputed waters in the East China Sea, which are believed to hold potential deposits of energy reserves, despite repeated protests by Japan to stop.
Takaichi said in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on self-ruled Taiwan, which China views as its territory and has not ruled out taking by force.
Beijing condemned her comments and has since asked its citizens not to travel to Japan, and has tightened trade restrictions on some Japanese firms.
