China–Japan Tensions Escalate as China Coast Guard Patrols Senkaku Waters Following Taiwan Remarks

China intensified its maritime and diplomatic pressure on Japan on Sunday after a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel formation entered the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands—territory administered by Japan but claimed by Beijing as the Diaoyu Islands. The CCG said the ships were conducting a “rights enforcement patrol,” framing the operation as a lawful move to safeguard China’s territorial claims.

The incursion comes amid a sharp deterioration in China–Japan relations following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s parliamentary statement on November 7, in which she warned that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo. Beijing reacted angrily, signalling that it expects Takaichi to walk back her comments.

China claims Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s claims and maintains that only the people of Taiwan can determine the island’s future.

In its statement, the China Coast Guard said: “Vessel 1307 and its formation conducted patrols within the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Islands. This was a lawful patrol operation to uphold China’s rights and interests.”

For years, China and Japan have regularly confronted each other in the contested waters, where the frequency of Chinese patrols has risen in parallel with regional tensions. The Japanese Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The diplomatic standoff has escalated since Takaichi’s remarks, drawing a series of stark warnings from Beijing. China’s Consul General in Osaka posted a controversial comment that “the dirty head that sticks itself out must be cut off,” prompting Tokyo to lodge a formal protest. Beijing later summoned Japan’s ambassador—its first such summons in more than two years—and China’s defence ministry warned that any Japanese military intervention in a Taiwan conflict would be “doomed to fail.”

On Friday, China issued an advisory cautioning its citizens against travelling to Japan. In response, Tokyo urged Beijing to take “appropriate measures,” without elaboration. Following the advisory, three Chinese airlines announced that passengers could cancel or reschedule flights to Japan at no additional cost.

Meanwhile, Taiwan continues to face sustained military pressure from China. Taiwan’s defence ministry reported on Sunday that 30 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels were detected around the island in the past 24 hours. Late Saturday, the ministry said China had conducted another “joint combat patrol” designed to “harass the air space and sea around us.” Taiwan deployed its own aircraft and naval assets to monitor the activity. Such patrols are reported several times a month as part of Beijing’s broader military coercion campaign.

Historically, Japanese leaders have refrained from explicitly naming Taiwan when discussing potential regional security contingencies, preferring a posture of “strategic ambiguity” aligned with the approach of its key security partner, the United States. Takaichi’s direct reference marked a departure from that stance—one that has clearly amplified tensions across the region.