Japan Tells China It Opposes Unilateral Attempts to Alter Status Quo in East China Sea

Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi (C) speaks to the members of the media after he inspected the British Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, back, at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on Sept. 6, 2021. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool Photo via AP

Japan’s Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo spoke to his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe via video conference on Monday, conveying Japan’s opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea by coercion.

Kishi voiced concerns about the situation in the East China Sea, particularly the Senkaku Islands where China has been making repeated intrusions, urging China to “self-restraint,” according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.