Press Releases

1. Despite Japan’s repeated protests, while eleven Chinese government vessels have not exited Japan’s contiguous zone surrounding the Senkaku Islands, as a continuation from this morning, two Chinese government vessels intruded into Japan’s territorial waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands, and two additional Chinese government vessels entered Japan’s contiguous zone (details below).

2. Against this backdrop, at approximately 5:00 pm today, 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 and that it cannot be approved whatsoever, and despite Japan’s repeated protests including this morning’s protest, that China is conducting unilateral activities that further raise tensions on the ground cannot be accepted whatsoever, and to leave Japan’s territorial waters as well as to leave Japan’s contiguous zone immediately.

3. Furthermore, preceding the aforementioned protest, at approximately 2:00 pm today, Mr. Shigeki Takizaki, Deputy Director-General, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, protested against China’s activities that raise tensions on the ground to Ms. Guo Yan, Minister, Embassy of China in Japan, and strongly requested that Chinese government vessels leave the contiguous zone.