BEIJING ASKS FOREIGN MILITARY VESSELS TO OBTAIN APPROVAL BEFORE ENTERING CHINESE WATERS

Wed 13 August 2025:

Beijing has urged foreign military vessels to obtain approval from China before entering its territorial waters.

China’s statement on Monday followed a report by Kyodo News that said Chinese vessels fired at least two warning shots at a Japanese military ship after it inadvertently entered Chinese territorial waters in July last year.

“On a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel intruding into China’s territorial waters in July last year, the Chinese side has already stated its position,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference in Beijing.

“In accordance with relevant stipulations of Chinese laws, foreign military vessels must obtain approval from the Chinese government before entering China’s territorial waters,” Lin added, according to an official transcript of the event released from the Foreign Ministry website.

He noted that “the Chinese side will handle the matter in accordance with the laws and regulations,” if any foreign ships enter Chinese waters without approval.

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The China-Japan territorial waters dispute centers on the East China Sea, particularly the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu by China). Japan administers these uninhabited islands, but China claims them, citing historical ties.

The dispute involves overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelf claims, with tensions over potential oil and gas reserves. Under international law, territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from a coast, while EEZs reach 200 nautical miles. Japan uses a median line to divide the sea, but China claims a broader continental shelf, leading to conflicts over resource exploration.

Recent incidents include Chinese Coast Guard vessels entering Japanese waters, a Chinese helicopter violating Japanese airspace, and Japan protesting China’s construction of structures like gas platforms. China’s new maritime rules, requiring foreign military vessels to seek approval, escalate tensions.

Other countries, like South Korea and the Philippines, face similar disputes with China over maritime boundaries, often involving fishing rights and resource claims. The U.S. supports Japan under their security treaty, raising the stakes. Miscalculations risk broader conflict.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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