Chinese coast guard ships make second incursion near Senkaku Islands this year

Chinese coast guard vessel 2301 is pictured in this undated photo from the Japan coast guard. (Japan coast guard)

Four Chinese coast guard vessels entered Japan’s territorial waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands this week, marking the second such incursion this year amid ongoing tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

Two vessels were spotted west of Uotsuri Island, the largest of the chain, shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday within Japan’s 12-mile territorial limit, according to a Japan coast guard news release that day. The other two ships were seen near Taisho, the group’s easternmost islet.

The Senkakus — administered by Tokyo but also claimed by Beijing and Taipei — consist of five uninhabited islets and three reefs about 105 miles east of Taiwan and roughly 254 miles west of Okinawa.

The Chinese vessels left Japanese waters about two hours later, the coast guard said in a second release Tuesday. The ships near Uotsuri exited southwest of Minamikojima, while the other two sailed southeast of Taisho.

The vessels were not pursuing Japanese fishing boats during the incursion, a Japan coast guard spokesman said Wednesday by phone. Japanese patrol ships issued warning using electronic message boards and loudspeaker announcements, he said.

Some Japanese government officials must speak to the media on condition of anonymity.

Tuesday’s incursion was the second this year. On Jan. 14, four Chinese coast guard ships entered Japan’s territorial waters near the Senkakus for about two hours, according to the Japan coast guard.

In 2025, Chinese coast guard vessels entered Japan’s territorial waters around the islands 27 times, the agency said. They also sailed in Japan’s contiguous zone around the Senkakus a record 357 times last year.

The contiguous zone extends 24 miles from a country’s baseline. Coastal states may exercise limited enforcement authority in that area under international law.

Tensions between Japan and China have risen in recent months. During a November parliamentary session, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo could use military force if Beijing attacks Taiwan. Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to unify Taiwan with the mainland, by force if necessary.

The U.S. 2025 National Defense Strategy places greater emphasis on deterrence and diplomacy, calling for strengthening defenses in the Pacific while seeking to avoid direct confrontation with Beijing.