BEIJING - The China Coast Guard said on April 12 that it patrolled the “territorial waters” of Diaoyu islands, also known in Japan as the Senkaku islands, in the East China Sea.

The Japan Coast Guard said in a separate bulletin that its patrol boats had asked four Chinese coast guard vessels to leave “our territorial waters”.

It marked the 10th such instance by Chinese vessels in 2024, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The waters around the islands are disputed and claimed by both China and Japan. The two sides have faced off in the waters, deploying patrol boats and urging the other to leave the area.

The face-off on April 12 came after the leaders of the United States, Japan and the Philippines held talks at the White House on April 11 to push back against Beijing’s stepped-up pressure on Manila in the disputed South China Sea. REUTERS