China Coast Guard Ships Enter Waters Near Disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands

Four China Coast Guard ships sailed in Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands on May 7, 2026, according to the Japan Coast Guard. The incident marked the first intrusion by Chinese government ships into Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands since April 28, 2026. m.

M. on May 7. m. the same day, the Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters based in Naha reported. The Senkaku Islands are located in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture.

Uotsuri Island is one of the islands in the chain, which Japan administers. China claims the Senkaku Islands, where they are called Diaoyu. The Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters in Naha tracked the four vessels throughout their approximately 90-minute presence in the waters.

The episode unfolded in the East China Sea, where the disputed islands have long been a point of friction between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japanese authorities routinely publicize such incursions by China Coast Guard vessels as part of efforts to assert administrative control over the territory.