Chinese Coast Guard vessels infiltrate Japanese waters near the Senkaku Islands
Chinese Coast Guard Ships Intrude Japanese Territorial Waters Around Senkaku Islands
On Monday, August 4th, Chinese coast guard ships intruded into Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, marking another escalation in the ongoing dispute over the islands.
The incident occurred around 12:20 a.m. off Taisho Island, one of the uninhabited Senkaku Islands located in the southernmost part of Japan's Okinawa Prefecture. The 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha, Okinawa, reported the intrusion, which was confirmed by the Japanese Coast Guard on the same day.
The Senkaku Islands, known as Diaoyu Islands in Chinese, are a critical flashpoint in the East China Sea. This is not the first time Chinese coast guard ships have made similar moves in the waters around the Senkaku Islands. In fact, recent history shows frequent intrusions by Chinese Coast Guard ships, often accompanied by helicopter flights into Japanese airspace.
In May 2025, a China Coast Guard vessel entered Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands and launched a helicopter that intruded into Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes, prompting Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to scramble fighter jets in response. This incident, among others, has raised concerns about China’s ongoing attempts to change the status quo by force around the islands.
According to Japan’s Defense White Paper released in July 2025, these incursions are viewed as part of China’s efforts to assert its territorial claims, with concerns that such activities seriously impact Japan’s security. In 2024, Chinese vessels sailed near the Senkaku Islands a record 355 times, illustrating a sustained pattern of presence and pressure on the Japanese-controlled area.
The frequency of Japanese fighter jet scrambles against Chinese aircraft increased significantly, with 122 scrambles reported in the April-June 2025 period, mainly in response to Chinese activities. These maritime and airspace incursions are considered by Japan as harassment and violations of sovereignty, with Japan lodging severe protests to Beijing and investigating possible coordination between Chinese helicopter flights and Japanese civilian aircraft in the area.
The continued intrusions by Chinese coast guard ships and aircraft around the Senkaku Islands signal an ongoing and escalating dispute with significant security implications for Japan. The dispute, which has been ongoing for years, remains unresolved, with both countries maintaining their territorial claims.
Politics and general news have been dominated by the war-and-conflicts-related escalation between Japan and China, as evidenced by the frequent intrusion of Chinese coast guard ships into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands. The ongoing, unresolved dispute over the islands has significantly impacted Japan's security and foreign relations, with both countries continuing to assert their territorial claims.
