Chinese maritime surveillance vessel No. 51 (center) sails alongside the disputed Diaoyu Islands, known as the Senkaku Islands by Japan, in the East China Sea, with a Japanese coast guard vessel in tow (right) and a Japanese fishing boat in the foreground. (July 1, 2013)
Japan’s senior defense official says he does not rule out the use of weapons in the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands.
Japan’s Maritime Safety Agency Chief Takhiro Oshima said at a press conference on 17, in view of the “Marine Police Law” that allows the Chinese Maritime Police Bureau to use weapons came into force on the 1st, Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands (known as the Diaoyu Islands in China) will be “within the scope of international law and in accordance with the principles of law, do not exclude The use of weapons”.
After China implemented the “Marine Police Law” on the 1st of this month, four Chinese marine police ships entered the waters of the Senkaku Islands on the 15th and 16th, respectively. The Chinese Coast Guard ships also followed The Japanese fishing vessels into the territorial waters of the Senkaku Islands, posing an obstacle to the fishing operations of Japanese fishing vessels. He said the Chinese maritime police ships “also approached to a distance of 40 to 50 meters. That’s not an environment where you can fish safely.”
The Japanese side said the two Chinese marine police ships stayed in the waters of the Senkaku Islands for about 23 hours.
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