Coast guard vessels from Japan and China found themselves embroiled in yet another confrontation near the disputed islands in the East China Sea on December 2, 2025, as both sides issued sharply conflicting accounts of what transpired. The incident, which unfolded against a backdrop of rising tensions and recent diplomatic friction over Taiwan, has reignited concerns about the fragile status quo in one of Asia’s most volatile maritime flashpoints.
According to Kyodo News and Reuters, the two countries’ coast guards each accused the other of violating territorial waters near the islands—known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China. The Japanese coast guard reported that two Chinese coast guard ships entered what Japan considers its territorial waters early on Tuesday, approaching a Japanese fishing boat. In response, a Japanese coast guard vessel demanded that the Chinese ships leave the area. The Chinese vessels reportedly departed after a few hours, but not before both sides had staked out their positions with strong words and official statements.
“The activities of Chinese coast guard vessels navigating within Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands while asserting their own claims fundamentally violate international law,” the Japan Coast Guard declared, as cited by Kyodo News. The statement also emphasized that the Chinese ships’ actions were not isolated, noting that other Chinese vessels remained nearby.
The Chinese side, for its part, presented a starkly different version of events. Liu Dejun, a spokesman for the China Coast Guard, stated that a Japanese fishing vessel had “illegally entered China’s territorial waters.” He explained, “China Coast Guard vessels took necessary control measures and made warnings to drive it away,” according to the official WeChat account of the China Coast Guard and reporting by the South China Morning Post. Liu further asserted, “The Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islets are inherent Chinese territory. We urge Japan to immediately cease all infringements and provocative activities in these waters.”
Liu’s comments made it clear that China intends to maintain a robust presence in the area. “The China Coast Guard will continue to conduct rights protection and law enforcement activities in the waters around the Diaoyutai Islands, resolutely safeguarding national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights,” he said. This stance was echoed in multiple Chinese media outlets, underlining Beijing’s determination to assert its claims.
The disputed islands, uninhabited but strategically located and resource-rich, have long been a source of contention between Tokyo and Beijing. The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands have seen regular confrontations over the years, but the latest incident comes at a particularly sensitive moment. Just weeks earlier, new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had made remarks suggesting that Japan could intervene militarily if China were to attack Taiwan. These comments were met with anger in Beijing and have since cast a long shadow over bilateral relations.
According to Kyodo News, relations between the two countries have soured further since Prime Minister Takaichi’s comments, with Beijing warning its citizens against travel to Japan and a number of cultural exchanges—including a Japanese singer’s performance in Shanghai—being suspended. China has also reportedly renewed a ban on Japanese seafood imports, though it has stopped short of imposing more serious economic sanctions, such as restrictions on rare earth exports.
The December 2 incident was not the first of its kind in recent weeks. As reported by Kyodo News, a similar confrontation occurred on November 16, just days after Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan. These repeated encounters highlight the persistent volatility in the region and the ease with which diplomatic tensions can spill over into potentially dangerous maritime standoffs.
Both sides have sought to frame the latest incident as a defense of their respective national interests. The Japanese coast guard maintains that it was protecting a Japanese fishing boat from Chinese interference within Japan’s recognized territorial waters. In contrast, the Chinese coast guard insists it was responding to an illegal incursion by a Japanese vessel into what it considers Chinese territory. Each government’s narrative is bolstered by statements from their respective coast guard spokespeople, with neither side showing any inclination to back down.
For Japan, the incident is yet another test of its resolve to maintain control over the Senkaku Islands and to uphold what it sees as the rule of international law in the East China Sea. The Japanese government has consistently rejected China’s claims to the islands, arguing that they have been administered by Japan for decades and are an integral part of its territory. The Japanese coast guard’s swift response to the Chinese vessels and its public statements reflect Tokyo’s determination to assert its sovereignty and reassure its domestic audience.
China, meanwhile, continues to assert that the Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islets are an immutable part of its territory, citing historical claims and a long-standing policy of “rights protection” in the surrounding waters. Liu Dejun’s remarks, as reported in the South China Morning Post, reinforce this position and signal that China will not be deterred by Japanese protests or international criticism. The Chinese government’s repeated calls for Japan to “cease all infringements and provocative activities” underscore the depth of its commitment to the issue.
The broader context of the standoff cannot be ignored. Prime Minister Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan have introduced a new level of uncertainty into the already complex relationship between Japan and China. By suggesting that Japan might intervene in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, Takaichi has raised the stakes in the region and prompted Beijing to adopt a more confrontational posture. The resulting chill in diplomatic relations has manifested not only in maritime incidents but also in the suspension of cultural events and travel advisories.
For observers in the region and beyond, the December 2 confrontation serves as a reminder of the fragility of peace in the East China Sea. With both sides unwilling to compromise on their territorial claims and regional tensions exacerbated by the Taiwan issue, the risk of escalation remains ever-present. The regularity of these maritime incidents, coupled with the hardening of official rhetoric, suggests that the dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands is unlikely to be resolved any time soon.
As the dust settles from the latest standoff, diplomatic channels remain open but strained. Both Japan and China are acutely aware of the potential consequences of a miscalculation at sea, yet neither appears willing to make the first move toward de-escalation. For now, the disputed islands will remain a symbol of unresolved historical grievances and a focal point for the broader strategic rivalry between Asia’s two largest powers.
In a region where history looms large and national pride runs deep, the latest incident near the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands is a stark illustration of how quickly old disputes can flare up, even as the world watches and waits for cooler heads to prevail.