On April 23, DPJ Next Minister of Foreign Affairs Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, DPJ Next Minister of Defense Hajime Hirota and DPJ Next Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Naoki Tanaka issued the following comment:

This morning, eight Chinese maritime surveillance ships entered Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands.

Chinese government ships continue to violate Japan’s territorial waters. In particular, this is the largest number of such ships to do so since September of last year, and as such we issue a strong protest to the Chinese government.

There is no doubt in terms of historical record or international law that the Senkaku islands are Japanese territory. In order to peacefully and stably maintain and administrate the Senkakus, the Japanese government should expand and strengthen warning and surveillance and the security system centered around the Japan Coast Guard, and make every possible effort to protect our national territory and territorial waters, including the Senkakus. Moreover, we believe that Japan and China should engage in bilateral dialogue in order to construct a maritime liaison mechanism at an early date, and make the East China Sea “a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation”.