China has repeatedly intruded into the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture since a new China Coast Guard law was enacted on Feb. 1. This heightened activity presents Japan with a growing risk of "gray zone situations," which are not easily categorized as either peacetime scenarios or emergencies. The government should develop response plans that can address all possible contingencies involving the islands, which China claims and calls the Diaoyu.
The Nikkei View
Japan must address legal and practical gaps in maritime security
Aggressive Chinese presence in Senkaku waters requires careful response
There have been a series of incursions by China Coast Guard vessels into Japanese territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands, which China claims as the Diaoyu Islands. © Kyodo
Read Next
Latest on The Nikkei View
