Japan police units will deploy on disputed islands of the Chinese Sea

Tokyo, Ta. September 2, 2019, Monday

Japan is building a special police force equipped with submachine guns and helicopters to patrol the disputed islands in the eastern Chinese Sea. The information was released by police and media reports amid tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

Disputes between Japan and China over the smaller islands in the East China Sea. There are no populations on the islands known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese but there is a dispute between the two countries over their ownership.

Japan is currently developing a police force equipped with submachine guns and helicopters for patrolling those islands. Police forces will be deployed on the islands from the beginning of next year, according to information provided by public broadcaster NHK.

The Japan National Police Agency, with the help of the Armed Forces, requested the budget of an additional 159 officers to stop illegal landings on the islands. According to the NHK, for the first time, the patrolling of disputed islands by police has been enhanced.

China's nuclear-powered submarine was spotted near those islands early last year. While Japan deployed additional Coast Guard jets in 2018 for patrolling the islands. In 2012, some islands were declared nationalized by Tokyo and subsequently strained relations between Japan and China.