The China Coast Guard reported that a fleet of its vessels patrolled the waters near the Diaoyu Islands on the afternoon of the 14th. This marks the Chinese Coast Guard vessels' reentry into the disputed waters of the Diaoyu Islands following a standoff with Japanese patrol boats in early July.
According to China News Service, the Chinese Coast Guard Meishan fleet conducted a rights-protection patrol within the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Islands. The China Coast Guard stated that this was a "lawful rights-protection patrol activity."
According to Japan’s Kyodo News, four vessels from the China Coast Guard entered Japanese territorial waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands around 4 p.m. on the 14th, and left the territorial waters for the adjacent zone from around 5:45 p.m. onward. This is the 15th day this year that Chinese government vessels have entered the waters near the Diaoyu Islands.
The 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters (Naha) of Japan pointed out that all four Chinese ships were equipped with autocannons, and Japanese patrol boats demanded the Chinese vessels leave. Including the adjacent zone, Chinese government vessels have been confirmed in the waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands for six consecutive days.
Recently, Chinese Coast Guard vessels have frequently appeared in the waters around Taiwan and Japan.
On July 7, two China Coast Guard vessels entered waters near the Diaoyu Islands that Japan claims as its “territorial waters” and were driven away by the Japan Coast Guard; the China Coast Guard, however, stated that it had already expelled Japanese vessels from those waters.
After the standoff between Chinese and Japanese patrol ships, the Chinese Coast Guard Hengsha fleet sailed into the Diaoyu Islands waters for a patrol on July 23.