(July 2): China warned two Japanese Coast Guard survey vessels to stop operating in the East China Sea in recent days, Japan’s top government spokesman said, unusual moves that highlight elevated tensions over sea border claims in the area and worsening diplomatic ties between Beijing and Tokyo.
Since Tuesday, the Japanese research ship Takuyo has received radio warnings from Chinese government ships to cease operations, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a regular press conference on Thursday. Similar warnings have been received by another Japanese research vessel, the Koyo, he said.
Kihara said that the Koyo received repeated warnings on Wednesday around 4.10pm in Japan while operating roughly 80km northwest of the island of Uotsuri, part of an uninhabited cluster of islands known as the Senkakus in Japan and administered by Tokyo. China also claims the islands and calls them the Diaoyu.
“In response, the Japan Coast Guard survey ships have informed the Chinese vessels that their marine survey activity is legitimate and conducted in accordance with international law,” Kihara said, adding that the ships are still operating in the area.
“We have lodged a protest with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels, stating that this marine survey is being conducted within Japan’s exclusive economic zone and that we cannot accept China’s demands to halt the survey,” Kihara said.
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Despite the competing exclusive economic zone claims in the East China Sea, Japanese research ships haven’t often been the target of warnings from China in recent years. However, the latest incidents come after Japan recently protested activity by Chinese Coast Guard vessels asserting Beijing’s claims to maritime borders close to the southern Japanese island of Yonaguni, south of the Senkaku islands.
The latest flare-up of tensions comes after China objected to an agreement by the leaders of Japan and the Philippines in May to start discussions on the delimitation of maritime borders between the two nations. Beijing views those talks as a challenge to its own sea border claims east of Taiwan, and last month launched a “special maritime traffic enforcement operation” to assert its maritime jurisdiction in the area.
The dispute over maritime border claims comes amid a sharp downturn in relations between Japan and China as Beijing pursues a pressure campaign to try to force Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to withdraw comments she made last year, when she suggested Tokyo could deploy its military if China attempts to seize Taiwan.
On Tuesday, Beijing expanded its export-control offensive against Japan, doubling the number of Japanese entities subject to curbs on shipments from China on products that can be used for both commercial and military purposes.
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