Chinese ships seen near Diaoyu Islands for record 353 days in 2024 – to ‘outlast’ Japan?
Beijing’s action aims to undermine Tokyo’s sovereignty over the islands and push Japanese defensive capacities to their limit, analysts note
Chinese coastguard vessels have been identified operating in the contiguous zone just outside Japanese territorial waters around disputed islands in the East China Sea for a record 353 days this year, surpassing the 352 days they were present last year.
Analysts suggest Beijing’s action is designed to undermine Tokyo’s sovereignty over the islands, which are claimed by the Chinese and referred to as the Diaoyu archipelago. Tokyo presently administers the uninhabited territories, known locally as the Senkaku Islands.
Observers also say Beijing appears to be pushing Japan’s defensive capacities to their limits in an effort to “outlast” Tokyo in waters around the islands.
According to the Japan Coast Guard, Chinese government vessels entered territorial waters around the islands on 39 occasions this year.
The Japan Coast Guard also said Chinese vessels attempted to approach Japanese fishing boars operating in Japanese waters on 18 occasions this calendar year, matching the previous record reported in 2021.
“China is basically trying to solidify its claims to the area and indicating that it does not recognise Japan’s exclusive economic zone [EEZ] around the islands,” said Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, associate professor in Tokyo International University’s Institute for International Strategy.
