Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsushin said on November 26 that Japan rejects a proposal by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to improve the situation by preventing ships other than Chinese and Japanese official ships from entering the waters around the Diaoyu Islands.
During his visit to Japan on November 25, Wang Yi held separate talks with Kato and Japanese Prime Minister Kan Yoshihide. During the talks, Wang Yi pointed out to the media that the Sino-Japanese dispute over the Diaoyu Islands should be improved if the two sides take mutual measures to keep vessels other than official vessels out of the waters surrounding the islands.
In response, Kato said at a press conference Thursday, “The relevant statement is based on China’s own position, which is totally unacceptable as the Japanese government.” He reiterated that “the Senkaku Islands (as Japan calls the Diaoyu Islands) are undoubtedly our inherent territory, both historically and in terms of international law. He also emphasized that “the issue of territorial sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands did not exist in the first place. There is no problem for Japanese fishing vessels to conduct activities in accordance with our laws and regulations.
China has recently strengthened its claims around the Diaoyu Islands, Kyodo reported. China’s Coast Guard vessels have repeatedly followed and approached Japanese fishing vessels sailing in the surrounding waters in an effort to pressure them. In a meeting with Wang Yi at his residence on 25 May, Kan asked China to respond positively to resolve issues in the East China Sea, including the Diaoyu Islands.
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