China plans to keep its ships near the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea for 365 days in 2024 as leader Xi Jinping has called for bolstering Beijing's sovereignty claim over the islets, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday. We will never let even 1 millimeter of our territory taken," the sources added. On Dec. 14, the annual number of days Chinese vessels were spotted near the Senkakus by Japan surpassed a previous record of 336, reported in 2022. The row over the Senkakus has been a long-term source of friction between the two Asian neighbors. Since Japan brought the islets under state control in September 2012, Chinese coast guard vessels have repeatedly intruded into Japanese waters near them.

Source: Forbes December 31, 2023 16:12 UTC