• skip navigations
• Japanese (日本語)
• Other Languages
• Sitemap

• >> Advanced Search
• Help

Mr. Kenichiro Sasae, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, lodges a protest against Mr. Cheng Yonghua, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Japan

July 12, 2012
Japanese

1. On Thursday, July 12, at shortly after 8:00 p.m., Mr. Kenichiro Sasae, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs summoned H.E. Mr. Cheng Yonghua, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to Japan, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on a directive from Mr. Koichiro Gemba, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and lodged a protest against Ambassador Cheng regarding the entry of patrol ships into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands shortly after 6:00 p.m. that day.
   
   
2. Vice-Minister Sasae stated the following points:
   (1)  Despite Minister Gemba's and my protest on the previous day, Chinese patrol ships once again entered into Japan's territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands shortly after 6:00 p.m. that day and made a China's own assertion regarding sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands. Japan does not consider this to be innocent passage recognized under international laws and cannot in any way accept it. The occurrence of the same incident is extremely serious and regrettable. We lodge a strong protest, and Japan also once again demands that recurrences be prevented.
   
   (2)  Japan finds it regrettable that several Chinese patrol ships continue to circulate Japan's contiguous zone since the previous day, despite Japan's repeated express of concern. Japan strongly requests that the patrol ships in the contiguous zone around the Senkaku Islands leave the nearby waters immediately.
   
   
3. In response, Ambassador Cheng stated that he will report on Vice-Minister Sasae's protest to his home country. He also expressed China's own position regarding the Senkaku Islands and his wish not to influence bilateral relations.
   
   
4. Vice-Minister Sasae responded by reiterating the basic position of Japan with regard to the Senkaku Islands, and by once again requesting strongly that the Chinese side prevent an incident like this from ever happening again.

• (*The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original press release in Japanese.)

Related Information (The Basic View on the Sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands)
Related Information (Japan-China Relations)