The Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the plan was prepared after Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a visit to the East China Sea regional command of the coast guard, stated the need to "constantly strengthen" efforts aimed at protecting China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. The Chinese leader also called for combating illegal activities at sea in accordance with the law and supporting China's maritime economy.
On December 14, the number of days when Chinese vessels patrolled the waters near the Senkaku Islands broke the previous record of 336, observed in 2022, according to the report.
In late August, China released the 2023 edition of its "standard map," which shows the country's claim to most of the South China Sea, the territorial ownership of which has long been disputed between China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. The Senkaku Islands were also marked as a Chinese territory.
China and Japan continue to have a territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands. After World War II, the islands were controlled by the United States and then handed over to Japan in 1972. Beijing disagrees with the decision, recalling that the islands were marked as Chinese territory on Japanese maps from 1783 and 1785. The conflict escalated in 2012 after the Japanese authorities bought out five islands from a private Japanese owner.