The Senkaku Islands Dispute Between Japan and China: A Note on Recent Trends

In recent years, the dispute over the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands, which had been modestly managed with no significant challenge to Japan's effective control, has developed into a new phase, with heightened tensions and a risk of clashes. A notable trend is that the intrusions of China Coast Guard ships into the Japanese contiguous zone and territorial sea off the Senkaku islands have become more frequent and their stay in these waters has become longer. China appears to have shifted its strategy from a regular presence in these waters to the exercise of law enforcement authority in sovereign waters.