Senkaku / Diaoyu: Chinese vessels spotted off the disputed islands
Tokyo (AsiaNews /
Agencies) - Four ships flying the Chinese flag entered the territorial waters
surrounding a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea at the center of
a dispute with Japan. According
to reports from the Japanese coast guard, the "invasion" took place
today, and involves four patrol vessels, spotted within 12 nautical miles from
the Senkaku / Diaoyu just before noon local time.
This
is the first time since December 31 - and the 21st since Tokyo nationalized the
islands in September - that a Beijing vessel has penetrated into the waters of
the archipelago, located in the East China Sea and of great economic and
commercial at a strategic level. On
5 January China's airforce tried to approach the area, without violating the
airspace as was the case in December, the Japanese air force is on alert, ready
to respond to air violation.
Tension
has risen since 13 December last, when Tokyo scrambled jets after a Chinese
aircraft entered the Senkaku / Diaoyu airspace for the first time since 1958. For
several months, Tokyo and Beijing have been at a standoff over the sovereignty
of this group of islands in the East China Sea, sending ships, coastguards,
fishing boats and now planes. Asian
policy experts argue that Beijing "will not compromise" and intends
to "keep up pressure."
From
now on the new leadership in Tokyo led by Conservative Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe has made it clear that it is necessary
"to stop the challenge" from China, while attempting to construct
"good relations in the national interest of both countries." However,
the dispute around the islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China,
threatens to further damage already strained relations. By
contrast, the Chinese leaders - led by Xi Jinping - do not seem to want to
close the territorial disputes in a peaceful manner, involving various
strategic areas of Asia and the Pacific. Beijing's
latest weapon of choice to undermine the legislation underpinning the international
territorial waters is science. An
11-page report presented to the UN asserts that "the appearance and
geological features of the islands show that they are part of China's mainland
territory."
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