With tensions between China and Japan, sparked by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about intervening "in the event of a Taiwan contingency," spreading to measures such as China's controls on rare earth exports to Japan, China's Ministry of National Defense asserted that the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Dao in Chinese), a disputed territory between the two countries, are "inherent Chinese territory."
Zhang Xiaogang, Spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said at a press conference on the 8th that "it is legitimate and reasonable for the China Coast Guard to patrol the relevant waters, enforce the law, and safeguard the sea and the border."
Earlier, Japanese media including the Sankei Shimbun noted that Chinese vessels appeared in waters around the Senkaku Islands on a total of 357 days last year, the most since Japan nationalized the Senkaku Islands in 2012. Located in the East China Sea, the Senkaku Islands consist of five uninhabited islands and three reefs and are currently controlled by Japan.
In response to the criticism, Zhang said, "We urge the Japanese side to be prudent in word and deed. It should not take actions that could escalate the situation."
Regarding the controversy, Japan's position is that after the possibility of oil deposits in the surrounding waters was raised in the 1950s, China began to claim sovereignty, while China maintains it is conducting "lawful patrol activities." The contiguous zone where Chinese vessels were spotted is an area set by the Japanese government outside its territorial sea to prevent violations of interests such as tariff, finance, immigration, and sanitation, and under international law foreign ships may also navigate there.
Zhang also mentioned and criticized Japan's move to expand its armaments. A senior Japanese government official said last month that "Japan should possess nuclear weapons," and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said, regarding the possibility of introducing nuclear-powered submarines, that "no options are off the table."
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs significantly increased the budget line item for "support to strengthen government security capabilities," and it was also reported to be planning to provide equipment and supplies, including advanced radar, to Southeast Asia and elsewhere.
Zhang criticized, saying, "Japan is not reflecting; instead, it is making up all kinds of pretexts to further expand its armaments and prepare for war," adding, "Japan is openly exporting lethal weapons and even, unafraid of the world's criticism, clamoring for nuclear possession," and "the sinister intent of Japan's right-wing forces—such as rearmament and an attempt to revive militarism—has been laid bare."