23-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Japan flags 216 days of Chinese intrusions near East China Sea islands
Japan has spotted Chinese vessels sailing near disputed islets in the East China Sea for a record 216 consecutive days, according to Tokyo's coastguard.
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The Tokyo-administered islets, known as the
Diaoyu Islands in China and Senkakus in Japan, have long been a sore point between the neighbours.
On Sunday, Japan said it observed four Chinese coastguard vessels sailing in the 'contiguous' zone, referring to a 12-nautical-mile (22km) band that extends beyond Japan's territorial waters.
Last year, Chinese vessels sailed near the Tokyo-administered island chain
more than 350 times , including for a period of 215 consecutive days, a Japanese coastguard spokesman said.
Japanese officials regularly protest against the presence of the Chinese coastguard and other vessels in the waters surrounding the disputed islands.
