(Express) – China has risked sparking war tensions after ships entered Japan’s waters as part of a longstanding dispute with the nation today. China sent two vessels into the waters near the Senkaku islands as it bids to spread its territorial claims.
The islands have been claimed by both China and Japan over the years and have long been disputed. The operation comes as China enacted the new ‘Coast Guard Law’, which allows the country’s coastguard to use weapons. The law also allows Chinese ships to take action if Beijing views any ship as entering its own territorial waters too.
In this instance, Japanese media claimed one of the Chinese vessels was armed with a cannon. The two vessels joined two other ships today in a threat to Japan’s sovereignty. The Japanese government soon lodged a complaint with China over the incursions and demanded the ships leave the area immediately.
It is thought today’s incursion is the seventh already this year. Although the two ships left after being warned by the Japanese government, it is the latest show of force from Xi Jinping. READ MORE
