Press Releases

1. Despite Japan’s repeated protests, while seven Chinese Coast Guard vessels have not exited Japan’s contiguous zone surrounding the Senkaku Islands, furthermore, at approximately 9:00 am on August 7, it was confirmed that two additional Chinese government vessels entered the contiguous zone, and at approximately 10:00 am the same day, of those, two vessels intruded into Japan’s territorial waters.

2. Against this backdrop, at approximately 11:25 am the same day, Mr. Shinsuke Sugiyama, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs strongly protested against Mr. Cheng Yonghua, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Japan, that the intrusion of Chinese government vessels into Japan’s territorial waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands is a violation of Japan’s sovereignty, that it cannot be approved whatsoever, and that the series of China’s activities are unilateral escalations that significantly raise tensions on the ground. Furthermore, preceding the aforementioned protest, at approximately 8:29 am, Mr. Kenji Kanasugi, Director-General, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, strongly protested against China’s activities that raise tensions on the ground to Ms. Guo Yan, Minister, Embassy of China in Japan, and requested that Chinese government vessels leave the contiguous zone.