Japan mentions “grave concern” to China
Taiwan News
Date: 2017/02/18
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – China sent four naval police ships into the waters near the disputed Diaoyutai
In this file photo dated October 2, 2012, the Japanese Coast Guard is defending the waters off the Diaoyutai. (By Wikimedia Commons)
Islands in the fifth such incident this year, Japanese officials said Saturday.
The uninhabited islands, which are controlled by Japan, are also claimed by Taiwan and China. During his recent visit to the United States, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe obtained the comment from President Donald Trump that the archipelago fell under the provisions of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, meaning Washington opposed any unilateral challenges to Japanese control.
According to Japanese sources, one of the Chinese vessels was equipped with a machine gun installation. The previous such incident dated from fewer than two weeks ago, Japan said.
A Chinese government department reportedly confirmed the news from Tokyo, saying that four of its ships had entered the Diaoyutai maritime area. [FULL STORY]
