Chinese longest intrusion near Senkakus ‘escalating’: Japan top diplomat

The amount of activity by Chinese vessels near the Senkaku Islands is “clearly escalating,” Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Monday, expressing concern over the continued presence of two such ships in waters surrounding the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed islets in the East China Sea.

The Japanese minister also strongly protested to his counterpart, a Foreign Ministry official said at the same session.

The Chinese ships left Japanese territorial waters past 10 p.m. Monday after more than 92 hours, according to the Japan Coast Guard.

Iwaya expressed Japan’s concerns during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tokyo on Saturday. While Iwaya described the talks as “conciliatory and friendly,” he called the timing of the Chinese intrusion during the diplomatic exchange “truly regrettable.”

Opposition lawmakers in Japan criticized the incursion, with one leader describing it as “extremely inappropriate” given the timing of the high-level talks. Iwaya responded by affirming that Japan will handle the situation “in a resolute and calm manner.”

The dispute over the Senkaku Islands, known as Diaoyu in China and Diaoyutai in Taiwan, has persisted for decades. Administered by Japan, the uninhabited islets hold strategic importance due to their proximity to shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds, and potential oil reserves. The islands are also seen as a focal point in the broader geopolitical rivalry between China and the US, with Japan being a key US ally.