China Pushed Japanese Ships Out of Disputable Waters

31.10.2012 Chinese patrol ships on Tuesday forced Japanese coast guard ships to leave disputable waters around the Senkaku (Diaoyu) islands, reported China's state oceanographic department.

According to the press release, after monitoring of the Japanese vessels, Chinese patrol ships warned them via radio and forced to leave the zone presenting photos as evidence of violation of China's sea borders, reports Interfax.

The Vzglyad newspaper earlier wrote that relations between China and Japan had recently aggravated because of a dispute over islands in the East China Sea. Beijing considers Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands its own territory seized by Tokyo in wars late in 19-th century.

Up to the recent time, four out of five islands belonged to private Japanese citizens. In Sept 2012, Tokyo bought three of them. As a result, almost all Senkaku Islands passed into Japan's state ownership.

Beijing reacted with heavy protests; Chinese patrol craft are currently deployed around the islands on the permanent basis. However, they avoid entering the zone declared by Japan as own territorial waters.

Mass protest actions took place in numerous Chinese towns against Japan's nationalization of the islands. Some protest actions resulted in attacks on Japanese companies and restaurants.

Late in Sept, Chinese deputy foreign minister Zhang Zhijun and his Japanese counterpart Chikao Kawai launched consultations in Beijing over the disputable islands.

At that time a sea battle with water cannons occurred near the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands when Japanese patrol ships tried to expel Taiwan's vessels from the zone considered by Tokyo own territorial waters.

On Sept 25, Chinese defense ministry officially declared the first national aircraft carrier Liaoning had been commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy.

In his turn, Chinese foreign ministry's spokesman Qin Gan said he was disappointed that Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was still holding a "wrong position" in the Senkaku problem.