Japan "Ruling and Opposition Parties Visit Taiwan" vs China "Coast Guard Patrol Ships Dispatched to Senkaku"

The appearance of the Senkaku Islands, which Japan claims as its territory

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] Reports have emerged that a large number of Japanese ruling and opposition party lawmakers will visit Taiwan. In response, China dispatched coast guard patrol vessels to the Senkaku Islands. The Senkaku Islands are a region where China and Japan are engaged in a territorial dispute.

According to local media on the 8th, 20 Japanese lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties will visit Taiwan for three days starting from the 8th of next month. These lawmakers held a general meeting the day before and plan to align their schedule with the 110th National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on October 10 (Double Ten Day).

The chairman of the group, Keiji Furuya, a member of the House of Representatives, had already visited Taiwan on the 23rd of last month. At that time, he met with President Tsai Ing-wen and, addressing China's military pressure, pointed out that “the people of Japan and Taiwan, who share common values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, can never accept it.”

In response, the Chinese Coast Guard announced via social media platform Weibo that “the Coast Guard vessel 1302 fleet patrolled within the territorial waters of Diaoyu Dao (the Chinese name for the Senkaku Islands)” that afternoon. However, detailed information such as how many vessels were involved and how long they stayed around the Senkaku Islands was not disclosed.

The Senkaku Islands are territories effectively controlled by Japan but are subject to a sovereignty dispute with China. In the past, the Chinese Coast Guard has dispatched patrol vessels whenever Japan made statements or took actions perceived as infringing on China’s core interests. In July, when four Japanese lawmakers, including Shigeru Ishiba, a former Japanese Defense Minister, visited Taiwan and met with President Tsai Ing-wen, China also sent coast guard vessels to the Senkaku Islands.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.