When a new Chinese coast guard law came into effect on Feb. 1, it became clear exactly what the China Coast Guard is, what it is allowed to do and what kind of activities it will conduct in the future.
As a result, we can see that Japan should be prepared to respond appropriately and effectively to China Coast Guard actions in the sea around the Senkaku Islands based on legal norms among the international community.
China Coast Guard ships are normalizing their acts of intrusion into Japan’s territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture or navigating in the contiguous zone. Since last year, they have approached Japanese fishing boats several times. There is a fear that China Coast Guard personnel may even land on the islets in the future.