11 Chinese ships appeared in Senkaku/Diaoyu waters

Ten coast guard ships and one large fishing vessel entered the waters off Uotsurijima at 2:30 p.m. (Vietnam time) today, September 18.

The Japan Coast Guard has just issued an urgent notice saying that 11 Chinese ships have entered the waters around the Senkaku Islands, which China calls Diaoyu, increasing tensions between the two countries.

Chinese Coast Guard ships and Japanese coast guard ships "accompany" the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands (Photo: Reuters)

"At 4:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. Vietnam time on September 18), 10 Coast Guard ships entered the waters off Uotsurijima," said a spokesman for the Japan Coast Guard, adding that a large fishing vessel also entered the waters on September 18.

Previously, on September 17, China National Radio (CNR) reported that about 1,000 Chinese fishing vessels were expected to arrive in disputed waters near the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands.

This could be China's intensified retaliation against Tokyo's decision to nationalize three of the five islands in the disputed archipelago in the East China Sea.

The move could further escalate tensions between the world's two largest economies, following a series of violent protests in Chinese cities targeting Japanese interests.

In another related development, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei said at a press conference on the afternoon of September 17 that the country's Fisheries Administration will manage and provide services for fishing activities in the waters near the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands./.

According to VNA - DT