TOKYO — In the one month since China put into force its coast guard law — legislation stipulating conditions for the use of weapons by its coast guard — Chinese patrol vessels increasingly intruded into Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.
A total of 14 Chinese marine patrol vessels entered Japan’s waters from Feb. 1 to the evening of Feb. 28, according to the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters based in Naha. That compares with six in January, and zero to 12 a month last year.
On almost every occasion in February, the Chinese vessels tracked Japanese fishing boats operating in the area. Some of the Chinese vessels were equipped …
Keep on reading: Chinese vessels increasingly intrude into Japanese waters after new Chinese law comes into force