Chinese Navy Survey Ship Intrudes Into Japanese Territorial Waters; Tokyo Lodges Protest

Territorial disputes between Japan and China continue to worsen after a Chinese Navy vessel was spotted inside Japan's territorial waters Tuesday. The vessel was seen near the islands of the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima.

According to the Defense Ministry, a survey ship entered Japanese waters from west of Kuchinoerabu Island at around 11 p.m. Tuesday and sailed out of the territorial waters south of Yakushima Island at around 2:10 a.m. Wednesday, reported Kyodo News. Tokyo has lodged a protest with China through diplomatic channels, the ministry added.

The incursion follows an incident in January, wherein four Chinese coast guard ships sailed into Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Then, the vessels had stayed inside the Japanese waters southeast of the island of Kuba in the Senkaku chain for over an hour.

But, this is the first such intrusion by a Chinese navy vessel since last December. The survey ship was monitored by the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Japan Coast Guard till it left the Japanese waters.

This incident comes as China's growing military presence in the South and East China seas continues to threaten peace in the region, with some countries having overlapping territorial claims.

Recently, reports have claimed that the presence of Chinese coast guard vessels near the disputed islands, including Senkakus (Diaoyu Islands in China) and Yonaguni is threatening the livelihood of Japanese fishermen. "The bow of one of their ships was pointed straight at us, and they were chasing us. I don't know for sure, but I also saw what looked like cannons," Kazushi Kinjo, a 50-year-old fisherman from Yonaguni island, told CNN.

While Senkakus is uninhabited, Yonaguni, situated close to Taiwan, has a strong fisher community, the inhabitants of which believe Beijing's increasing military presence in the region would result in restricted access to the fishing grounds, which is crucial to their livelihood.

The volatile situation and the constant threat from China have also prompted Japan to voice its concerns, as evident in the statements in the recent Diplomatic Bluebook which referred to Beijing as a "major security concern." It also notes that China has been increasing and expanding its military activities near Japan. It also alleged that China was "unilateral attempting to change the status quo" in waters near Senkaku Islands. However, it also called on efforts to build constructive and stable relations.