The Japanese government has lodged a formal protest with China over recent activities by Chinese government vessels near the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, according to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On April 10, 2024, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa summoned China’s ambassador to Tokyo, Wu Jianghao, to express strong concern after multiple Chinese coast guard ships entered Japan’s territorial waters around the islands on April 8 and 9. Japan maintains that the Senkakus, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, are an inherent part of its territory based on historical and legal grounds.
The incursions marked the first time Chinese government vessels had entered Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkakus since December 2023, ending a brief period of de-escalation following high-level talks between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November 2023.
Japan’s Coast Guard reported that four Chinese coast guard vessels remained in the contiguous zone just outside Japan’s territorial waters for over 70 hours before departing on April 10. During the incursion, Japanese authorities issued repeated warnings in Japanese, English, and Chinese via radio and loudspeaker, demanding the vessels leave immediately.
China’s Foreign Ministry has not issued a public statement regarding the specific incidents of April 8-9. Still, Beijing consistently asserts its sovereignty claim over the Diaoyu Islands and maintains that its coast guard patrols are lawful and necessary to protect Chinese territorial integrity.
The latest flare-up occurs amid broader strains in Sino-Japanese relations, including disagreements over Japan’s discharge of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, which China has banned Japanese seafood imports over, and competing influence in Southeast Asia through infrastructure initiatives.
Despite periodic diplomatic engagement, including working-level talks on maritime communication mechanisms held in Tokyo in March 2024, neither side has indicated a willingness to compromise on the core sovereignty dispute. Japan’s Defense Ministry continues to conduct regular surveillance flights and maritime patrols around the Senkakus, while China maintains a persistent coast guard presence in the surrounding waters.
As of April 11, 2024, no further incursions into Japan’s territorial waters have been detected, but Chinese government vessels remain active in the contiguous zone. Japan’s National Security Secretariat has confirmed that senior officials will review the situation at its next scheduled meeting on April 18, 2024, though no public agenda has been released.
