Japan Coast Guard Says It Expelled Two Chinese Ships Near Disputed Islands

The Japan Coast Guard said Tuesday it expelled two Chinese coast guard ships from waters near the Senkaku Islands after the vessels approached a Japanese fishing boat operating in the area. The coast guard issued departure orders and deployed additional vessels around the fishing boat to ensure its safety, the statement said.

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Four Chinese coast guard ships were sailing in the area before two entered waters Japan claims as its territory, according to the coast guard. The agency described the entry as a violation of international law. The Senkaku Islands, also claimed by China, lie between Taiwan and Okinawa Prefecture and have been the site of a long-running territorial dispute.

The Japan Coast Guard said it will continue to respond in line with international and domestic law. Chinese coast guard ships routinely patrol waters around the islands, and the two countries have exchanged protests over maritime activity in the East China Sea for years.