On the 11th, it will be 10 years since the government nationalized the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.


The government is increasing its vigilance against China's repeated incursions into its territorial waters in the surrounding waters, while at the same time, in order to avoid a decisive deterioration in Japan-China relations, it intends to seek diplomatic communication and seek to improve relations. is.

Ten years ago, on September 11, the government nationalized the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture by purchasing them from landowners for the purpose of maintaining and managing them peacefully and stably over the long term.



The Chinese side has opposed this, and in the surrounding waters, ships of the Chinese authorities have repeatedly intruded into territorial waters, and in recent years, ships have become larger and more armed.



At a press conference on the 9th, Foreign Minister Hayashi said, "The situation remains unpredictable, and I am extremely concerned. said.



In addition to the dispute over the Senkaku Islands, China held military exercises in August in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. I have fallen, and it is getting more severe.



On the other hand, with September 29th approaching the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China, Director-General of the National Security Agency Akiba held a seven-hour meeting with Politburo member Yang Jiechi, who oversees China's diplomacy, in August. We agreed to aim to build a constructive and stable relationship.



In order to avoid a decisive deterioration in bilateral relations, the government intends to continue communicating at various levels and seek ways to improve relations.

Self-Defense Forces scramble more than four times before nationalization

China's activities in the skies around Okinawa have become more active, and the number of scrambles (scrambles) by the Self-Defense Forces against Chinese aircraft has more than quadrupled since before nationalization.



Ten years ago, on September 11, 2012, the government nationalized the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.



According to the Ministry of Defense, the number of scrambles by the Self-Defense Forces against Chinese aircraft


was 156 in 2011 before nationalization, but


nearly doubled to 306 in 2012.



It continued to increase after that, reaching a record high


of 851 times in FY2016, and


722 times in FY2021, more than four times the number in FY2011.



Of these, in December 2012, about three months after nationalization, a propeller plane owned by the Chinese authorities flew in the territorial airspace around the Senkaku Islands, becoming the first Chinese aircraft to violate Japanese airspace. .



In July 2013, an early warning aircraft of the Chinese military passed between the main island of Okinawa and Miyako Island and flew to the Pacific Ocean for the first time. is flying



In May and June 2014, a Chinese military fighter jet approached a Japanese Self-Defense Force aircraft during a patrol flight over the East China Sea.



In order to prevent accidental clashes between the Self-Defense Forces and the Chinese military, both the Japanese and Chinese governments have confirmed that they will proceed with coordination toward the early establishment of a "hotline" for direct contact between senior officials of the defense authorities. Creating a system is a challenge.

Aiming to establish a fait accompli, such as the normalization of activities around the Chinese islands and the establishment of domestic laws

China has normalized its activities around the islands, such as by having Coast Guard ships sail through the islands every day, and is also promoting the development of domestic laws, with the aim of turning its own claims over territorial rights into a fait accompli. It seems.



Since the Japanese government nationalized the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture 10 years ago, the Chinese government has strengthened its territorial claims, claiming that they are inherent territories of China.



China has been normalizing its activities, such as having Coast Guard ships sail into the contiguous zone just outside Japan's territorial waters every day, and repeatedly intruding into Japan's territorial waters.



Since China incorporated the Coast Guard into the "armed police" under the command of the military in its structural reforms in 2018,


▽ Coast Guard units have the same chain of command as the Chinese Navy during training and during emergencies. In

addition to amending the law to operate it in an integrated manner, we have


also advanced legislation such as enforcing the "Japan Coast Guard Law" that allows the use of weapons on foreign ships.



In addition to increasing the size of the Coast Guard's ships and enhancing their equipment, the top of the Coast Guard has been appointed as the Navy commander of the Eastern Theater Command, which has jurisdiction over the East China Sea in the Chinese military since the beginning of this year. It is said that he was appointed to , and it seems that cooperation with the military is strengthening through personnel affairs.



By normalizing its activities around the Senkaku Islands, China seems to be aiming to turn its claims over territorial rights into a fait accompli.