China's coast guard said Thursday that a Japanese fishing vessel "illegally entered" China's territorial waters around Diaoyu Islands on Oct 15-16 and was warned to leave. "We urge the Japanese side to immediately stop all illegal activities in these waters," a coast guard spokesperson said in a statement. Weeks later, Japan lodged another protest after one of China's naval survey vessels entered Japanese waters. China has also had a number of altercations with the Philippines over disputed waters in the South China Sea. A Hague arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing's claim to 90% of the South China Sea had no basis in international law.

Source: The Guardian October 18, 2024 09:50 UTC