Chinese patrol vessels are back at Senkaku: tensions in the East China Sea are not abating

 Tensions over the disputed Senkaku Islands (which China calls Daoyu) have escalated again. Early on Monday morning, two Chinese government vessels re-entered Japanese territorial waters off this archipelago located in Okinawa Prefecture. This happened literally shortly after they left this area, which indicates the cyclical and provocative nature of their actions.

According to the Joint Japan Maritime Rescue Coordination Group, Chinese vessels crossed the border at 1:19 a.m. off Taisho Island, one of the Senkaku Islands. A particularly disturbing moment was that Japanese observers recorded how these vessels tried to approach a Japanese fishing vessel located in the area. Such actions are considered by Tokyo as potentially dangerous and provoking clashes.

In response, the Japanese Coast Guard immediately increased surveillance, sending its patrol ships to the scene of the incident. The Japanese authorities have repeatedly issued verbal warnings to the Chinese vessels, demanding that they immediately leave the territorial waters. Japan insists that the Senkaku Islands are under its sovereign control and that any entry into these waters is illegal.

This incident is just the latest in a long line of similar violations. Chinese patrol vessels regularly appear in the area, challenging Japanese claims and demonstrating their naval might. The situation remains extremely tense, and each such case highlights the fragility of peace in the East China Sea, where the strategic interests of the two major powers collide.