Japan, Taiwan Clash at Sea as Islands Dispute Escalates

September 25, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

A Japanese official has met Taiwanese diplomats in an effort to calm the two countries' dispute over a group of islands in the East China Sea. The meeting was a response to an earlier incident in which ships from both countries fired water cannons at each other. It was the latest confrontation over the ownership of the islands, which China also claims. Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports from Yonaguni island in Japan.

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Senkaku Islands

The Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands in Mainland China or Tiaoyutai Islands in Taiwan, or the Pinnacle Islands, are a group of uninhabited islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea. They are located roughly due east of Mainland China, northeast of Taiw... Explore this topic

Japan-Taiwan relations

Japan–Republic of China relations are guided by the 1972 Japan-PRC Joint Communique. Since then, Japan has maintained non-governmental, working-level relations with Taiwan. Japan does not recognize the Republic of China as the sole official government of China, and uses the ne... Explore this topic

Japan Coast Guard

The Japan Coast Guard, formerly the Maritime Safety Agency, is the Japanese coast guard. Comprising about 12,000 personnel, it is under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and is responsible for the protection the coast-lines of Japan.... Explore this topic

China-Japan relations

China and Japan are geographically separated by the East China Sea. China has strongly influenced Japan with its language, architecture, culture, religion, philosophy, and law. When Western countries forced Japan to open trading in the mid-19th century, Japan moved towards mod... Explore this topic

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up... Explore this topic

Taiwan

Taiwan on saari Kiinan rannikolla, Japanista etelään. Yhdessä lähimpien saarten kanssa se muodostaa samannimisen provinssin, jonka katsovat osakseen sekä Kiinan tasavalta että Kiinan kansantasavalta. Edellä mainittu pitää Taiwanilla valtaa lähes ainoana alueenaan, ja usein nim... Explore this topic

Territorial dispute

A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more territorial entities or over the possession or control of land by a new state and occupying power after it has conquered the land from a former state no longer currently recognized ... Explore this topic

Water cannon

A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-pressure stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of metres / hundreds of feet. They are used in firefighting and riot control. Most water cannon fall under the category of a... Explore this topic

Osamu Fujimura

Osamu Fujimura is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan and a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. Explore this topic

Fishing vessel

A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing. According to the FAO, there are currently four million commercial fishing vessels. About 1.3 mil... Explore this topic

Also See

Senkaku Islands

Japan-Taiwan relations

Japan Coast Guard

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