China Coast Guard expels Japan research vessel Shinsei Maru around Senkaku Islands.

According to information published by Global Times on February 1, 2023, China’s coast guard expelled Japanese ships that entered territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands.
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Japanese research vessel Shinsei Maru. (Picture source: Jamstec)

Five Japanese ships, including the Shinsei Maru, entered China’s territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands, and China Coast Guard vessels took necessary management and control measures and warned them away according to the law.

The Japanese researchers flew a drone several times to within 300 meters of the Diaoyu Islands and took images of the area.

A China Coast Guard vessel approached the Shinsei Maru in the process, leading to a “diplomatic protest” from the Japanese government to the Chinese side, the Japanese report said.

The R/V Shinsei Maru is 66 m long and its gross tonnage is 1,635 tons. The vessel is used for relatively short cruises near Japan, especially for studies on the current state and recovery processes of Tohoku marine ecosystems after the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011.

Senkaku Islands dispute

The Senkaku Islands dispute, or Diaoyu Islands dispute, is a territorial dispute over a group of uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the Diaoyu Islands in the People's Republic of China (PRC), and Tiaoyutai Islands in the Republic of China (ROC or Taiwan).

Aside from a 1945 to 1972 period of administration by the United States as part of the Ryukyu Islands, the archipelago has been controlled by Japan since 1895.

According to Lee Seokwoo, the People's Republic of China (PRC) started taking up the question of sovereignty over the islands in the latter half of 1970 when evidence relating to the existence of oil reserves surfaced.

Taiwan (the Republic of China; ROC) also claims the islands. The territory is close to key shipping lanes and rich fishing grounds, and there may be oil reserves in the area.