Overview

• On July 10, two China Coast Guard ships continued to operate inside Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands, marking the 19th such intrusion this year.
• The vessels were equipped with machine guns and attempted to approach Japanese fishing boats before patrol ships ordered them to leave.
• Two additional armed Chinese ships were observed in the contiguous zone beyond Japan’s territorial limit during the same period.
• Chinese ships have maintained an uninterrupted presence near the Senkaku Islands since early 2025, setting a post-nationalization record of 234 days.
• The sustained standoff highlights escalating maritime sovereignty disputes and raises security concerns in the East China Sea.