Tokyo [Japan], February 12 (ANI): A Chinese navy survey vessel on Sunday entered Japan’s territorial waters close to islands near the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. It is the most recent confirmed sighting of a Chinese ship within the space since December, quoting Japan’s Defence Ministry, Kyodo News reported.
According to the Japan-based news company, a survey ship crossed into Japanese waters from southwest of Yakushima Island within the prefecture at round 2:30 am, marking the seventh entry by a Chinese survey vessel into waters off Kagoshima since November 2021.
Japan expressed considerations to China concerning the ship’s actions. The vessel at round 4:00 am, sailed out of the territorial waters close to Kuchinoshima Island, about 50 kilometres southwest of Yakushima, the Kyodo News reported.
Chinese ships have usually entered Japan’s territorial waters or sailed by means of adjoining areas, most notably close to the Senkaku Islands, a gaggle of East China Sea islets managed by Japan however claimed by China below the identify Diaoyu.
China’s rising army presence within the South and East China seas has been a supply of friction with some international locations within the area attributable to China having overlapping territorial claims with neighbours, in accordance with Kyodo News.
Survey vessels are sometimes used to conduct analysis, equivalent to figuring out underwater topography for submarine navigation, it mentioned.
The media just lately reported that Japan is about to ramp up patrolling of its territorial waters amid the growing presence of Chinese vessels in and across the waters close to the Senkaku Islands, often called the Diaoyu islands in China.
The Fumio Kishida authorities has developed a coverage to spice up the nation’s Coast Guard capabilities, together with patrolling its waters by ship and plane, Japan’s NHK World reported.
The Japanese media mentioned this growth follows a rise in China’s maritime actions final yr close to the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
The Senkaku Islands are a gaggle of islands within the East China Sea. They are situated northeast of Taiwan, east of China, west of Okinawa Island, and north of the southwestern finish of the Ryukyu Islands. Japan maintains they’re an inherent a part of its territory. Meanwhile, China and Taiwan additionally declare these islands.
According to NHK, Chinese authorities ships final month navigated Japanese waters within the space for greater than 72 hours. The report added that it’s the longest-ever continued intrusion of its variety for the reason that Japanese authorities bought a few of the islands from a personal Japanese proprietor in 2012.
In December, the Japanese authorities authorized a draft funds for the following fiscal yr for a document 114,38 trillion yen (USD 862 billion) with a record-high defence funds within the quantity of 6.8 trillion yen. (ANI)