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Japanese and Chinese Coast Guards clash near disputed islands

Updated July 7, 2026 Source: G1 Mundo 2 min read

The Coast Guards of Japan and China clashed this Tuesday (7) near disputed islands and each force stated that it had driven away vessels from the other country, in a context of great bilateral diplomatic tension. The incident took place near uninhabited islands, the Senkaku, administered by Japan and located between the Japanese island of Okinawa and Taiwan. China claims the islands, which it calls Diaoyu. The Japanese Coast Guard said in a statement that it expelled two Chinese Coast Guard (GCC) vessels that approached a Japanese fishing site in the region. A few hours later, the Chinese Coast Guard announced that it had forced a Japanese fishing vessel to move away from the islands. The Japanese maritime surveillance body "issued withdrawal orders (...) and managed to force the removal of Chinese Coast Guard ships from Japanese territorial waters," a statement said.

The note highlights that four Chinese vessels sailed through the area before two entered Japanese waters. The statement states that the GCC's activities constitute "a violation of international law." Subsequently, the Chinese Coast Guard said in its statement that the "Japanese fishing vessel Zuihou Maru entered Chinese territorial waters" and that "GCC ships took necessary warning and expulsion measures." The two countries have a long-standing dispute over the islands, which represent a source of bilateral tensions. At the end of 2025, the two countries were at the height of a diplomatic crisis after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from the country shortly after being elected.

Source: G1 Mundo

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