On November 17, 2025, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minori Kihara stated that the presence of Chinese vessels sailing near the disputed Senkaku Islands (known as Diaoyu Islands in China) within Japan’s jurisdiction is “unacceptable.”
During a regular press conference, Kihara confirmed that a fleet of Chinese coast guard ships navigated through waters near the Senkaku Islands on Sunday, November 16.
According to Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), on Sunday morning, four Chinese coast guard ships successively entered waters near the Senkaku Islands, sailed for about an hour and a half, and then withdrew from Japanese territorial waters. The Japan Coast Guard continued to issue warnings and closely monitor the Chinese vessels to prevent them from re-entering Japanese waters.
Reports indicated that all four Chinese coast guard ships were equipped with cannons.
Kihara stated, “The actions of the Chinese coast guard ships violate international law. We have lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels and firmly demanded that they immediately leave Japanese territorial waters.”
He added that the intrusion of Chinese coast guard ships into waters near the Japanese-controlled Diaoyu Islands is regrettable and unacceptable to Japan. “We will continue to remain vigilant, closely monitor the situation around the islands, and respond to China (China) with a calm and resolute attitude,” said Kihara.
On November 7, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai’s comments on the Taiwan issue provoked China, leading to heightened tensions between China and Japan.
According to Kyodo News, regarding the statement that an attack by China on Taiwan could constitute a “survival crisis” for Japan, Takai explained, “We have considered the worst-case scenario, but this does not change the government’s current position.” A senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office stated, “The Prime Minister has already explained it clearly, there is no problem.”
Although China has never ruled Taiwan, it consistently claims sovereignty over the island and does not rule out the possibility of using force against Taiwan. However, the Taiwan authorities have stated that Taiwan’s future should be determined by the people of Taiwan.
Taiwan is only 110 kilometers (68.35 miles) from Japanese territory. The concept of “if Taiwan has a problem, Japan has a problem” was first proposed by the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2021.
Chen Youhua, Associate Professor of the China Studies Department at the International University of Japan (AIU), told BBC Chinese that over the past decade, Japan’s Taiwan policy, from the Abe era to the present, has gradually shifted from strategic ambiguity to strategic clarity. Chen stated, “I believe that the deterrence against China’s potential military actions towards Taiwan must be stronger and clearer to achieve deterrence.”