China Stands with Russia as Putin Visits Northern Territories
Aug 14, 2026 21:16 (JST)
Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)--The Chinese and Russian ambassadors to Japan have issued a joint statement claiming that their countries made huge sacrifices in the fight against Nazism and Japanese militarism during World War II.
The statement was released on Thursday, when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited one of the four Russian-held islands that Japan calls the Northern Territories.
In the statement, Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao and Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev did not directly mention the Northern Territories.
On Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass said in a social media post, "The United States remains unwavering in its support of its most important ally and in its recognition of Japanese sovereignty over the Northern Territories."
In recent years, China and Russia have deepened their military cooperation. Last year, China responded fiercely to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan and has since tried to condemn Japan for new militarism.
Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)--The Chinese and Russian ambassadors to Japan have issued a joint statement claimi…
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Four Chinese vessels enter Japanese territorial waters near Senkaku Islands: Coast Guard
By Rashmi Pandey
Published on Aug 14, 2026 · 2:30 PM IST
Four Chinese government vessels entered waters that Japan considers its territorial sea around the
Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) said Friday. The vessels were monitored by Japanese coast guard units, which warned them to leave the area. China also claims the islands, which it calls the Diaoyu Islands, making the waters a recurring flashpoint between the two countries.
The latest incident involved four Chinese vessels operating around the Japanese-administered islands, according to the JCG. Japanese authorities treat the entry as an intrusion into their territorial waters, while Beijing maintains its own sovereignty claim over the islands. The immediate circumstances of the vessels' movement and their stated purpose were not independently established in the available official information.
The
Senkaku Islands, a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, have been administered by Japan but are also claimed by China and Taiwan. The sovereignty dispute has contributed to periodic diplomatic and maritime tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.
Japan's Coast Guard maintains regular surveillance around the islands. In its 2026 operational material, the JCG says Chinese Coast Guard vessels are observed in the contiguous zone around the Senkaku Islands almost daily and that intrusions into what Japan considers its territorial sea have also occurred.
Japan's government has repeatedly raised concerns about Chinese maritime activity in the area. Official Japanese records show that Chinese Coast Guard vessels have repeatedly entered the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in recent years. In 2025, Japan recorded
27 such incidents, compared with 39 in 2024 and 34 in 2023, according to figures published by Japan's Cabinet Secretariat.
The same Japanese government material says Chinese Coast Guard vessels operated in the contiguous zone around the islands on
357 days in 2025, underscoring the near-continuous nature of Chinese maritime activity in waters surrounding the disputed territory.
The distinction between territorial waters and the contiguous zone is important. Under Japan's description, territorial waters extend up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline, while the contiguous zone extends farther offshore. Japan considers unauthorized entry by foreign government vessels into its territorial sea a violation of its sovereignty.
China, however, rejects Japan's characterization of the islands and routinely describes its Coast Guard activities around them as legitimate patrols aimed at protecting Chinese sovereignty and maritime interests.
The latest encounter comes against a broader deterioration in Japan-China relations over security and maritime issues. Tokyo has become increasingly concerned about China's expanding coast guard presence around the islands, while Beijing has objected strongly to Japanese activities and statements concerning the disputed territory and regional security.
The incident is unlikely, by itself, to alter the territorial dispute, but repeated encounters raise the risk of an accidental confrontation between vessels operating in close proximity.
The Japan Coast Guard is expected to continue monitoring the Chinese vessels and maintain communications as they leave the waters. Japan could also raise the incident through diplomatic channels, as it has done following previous incursions.
Further Chinese patrol activity around the Senkaku Islands will likely remain closely watched by Japanese authorities as both sides seek to maintain their respective positions without allowing maritime encounters to escalate.
Four Chinese government vessels entered waters that Japan considers its territorial sea around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, the Japan Coast Guard…
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