Chinese Ships Leave after 92 Hours in Japan Waters off Senkakus

Naha, Okinawa Pref., March 25 (Jiji Press)--Chinese coast guard ships left Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture after sailing in the waters for 92 hours and 8 minutes.

This was the longest such intrusion since Japan nationalized the islands, claimed by China, in 2012. The previous record was 80 hours and 36 minutes marked in 2023.

According to the Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, two Chinese coast guard entered Japan's territorial waters near Minamikojima in the Senkaku chain between around 1:56 a.m. and 1:59 a.m. Friday.

The two repeated attempts to approach Japanese fishing boats operating nearby. The two were then joined by another two vessels.

The four Chinese ships all left the waters by around 10:04 p.m. Monday.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]