“To uphold rights”China invades Japanese waters with coast guard
The Japanese Prime Minister wants to intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, which China considers a provocation. After the travel warning, Beijing continued shooting and sending coast guards to the Senkaku Islands area controlled by Tokyo.
Chinese coast guard units have entered the waters of the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, further increasing tensions with Tokyo. China’s coast guard talks about patrols to “enforce rights”. Relations between the two countries have been tense since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not rule out his country’s military response to a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan.
Takaichi has told parliament that a Chinese attack on democratically ruled Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo. The comments sparked an angry reaction in Beijing, which called for the statement to be retracted. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. The government in Taipei rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. The Senkaku Islands are about 140 kilometers from Taiwan.
Since Takaichi’s comments, China has increasingly increased pressure on Japan. China’s Consul General in Osaka said “anyone who sticks out his head will be beheaded,” prompting Tokyo to lodge an official protest. Beijing also summoned Japan’s ambassador for the first time in more than two years. On Friday, China warned its citizens against traveling to Japan, prompting three Chinese airlines to offer free cancellations.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported on Sunday morning the deployment of 30 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval ships in the airspace and waters around the island in the past 24 hours. Taipei spoke about Beijing’s ongoing military pressure campaign. China and Japan have been at odds for years over the Japanese-controlled islands, called Diaoyu in Beijing and Senkaku in Tokyo. Until now, Japanese politicians have avoided openly mentioning Taiwan in such scenarios.
