Japan Protests to China’s Ambassador as Island Tensions Flare
- Hundreds of Chinese vessels reported near disputed islands
- Japan says two vessels entered its territorial waters
A Chinese coast guard vessel sails near the disputed islands on Aug. 6.
Source: 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters via AP PhotoThis article is for subscribers only.
Japan said two Chinese vessels entered Japanese territorial waters near the disputed “Senkaku” or “Diaoyu” islands in the East China Sea on Sunday morning in an escalation of tensions between the two nations.
Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama complained to China’s Ambassador Cheng Yonghua that the incident had infringed on Japan’s sovereignty, according to a statement from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was Japan’s second protest to the ambassador in three days.