Japan’s Prime Minister Kan Yoshihide expressed concern over the repeated intrusion of Chinese official vessels into the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands (China’s Diaoyu Islands), an island disputed over sovereignty between the two countries, during a meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Kyodo News confirmed on November 25, citing government sources.
Wang Yi, for his part, told the media after the meeting that he hoped measures would be taken so that the issue would not affect the development of relations between Japan and China.
In an interview with reporters at a hotel in Tokyo, Wang Yi reportedly said that China has promised not to allow ships other than its own official ships to enter the relevant waters, and that the situation would improve if the Japanese side took the same measures.
It was noted that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who began his visit to Japan on Tuesday, held a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Shigeru, but the two sides did not address the issue of whether Xi could visit Japan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian confirmed on Wednesday that the two sides have reached a consensus on a “fast track” to facilitate business and other necessary personnel exchanges, which will be officially launched on November 30.
Kyodo News noted that Wang Yi’s suggestion that vessels other than those on official business not be allowed to enter the relevant waters is very low. The reason is that Japanese fishing vessels will not be able to enter the Senkaku Sea, where Japan claims sovereignty.
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