Japan Coast Guard chases off Taiwanese protest boat near Senkakus

January 24, 2013

By YOSHITAKA UNEZAWA/ Staff Writer

In a spectacular ship chase using water cannon, Japan Coast Guard vessels drove out a Taiwanese protest ship from the contiguous zone off Japanese territorial waters around the disputed Senkaku Islands on Jan. 24.

The ship was spotted about 33 kilometers west-southwest of Uotsurishima island in the East China Sea around 11:40 a.m.

Several crew members were seen standing on the rear deck. The name of the ship, painted green in Chinese characters on the side of the body, read “Quanjiafu,” meaning “happy family.”

Two other ships ran parallel to the vessel.

Around midday, as many as eight Japan Coast Guard vessels encircled the protest ship and sprayed it with water cannon. The Taiwanese ship did not enter Japanese territorial waters.

By YOSHITAKA UNEZAWA/ Staff Writer
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Japan Coast Guard vessels converge on a Taiwanese protest ship and spray it with a water cannon on Jan. 24 in waters near Uotsurishima island, one of the disputed Senkaku Islands. (Shiro Nishihata)

Japan Coast Guard vessels converge on a Taiwanese protest ship and spray it with a water cannon on Jan. 24 in waters near Uotsurishima island, one of the disputed Senkaku Islands. (Shiro Nishihata)

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  • Japan Coast Guard vessels converge on a Taiwanese protest ship and spray it with a water cannon on Jan. 24 in waters near Uotsurishima island, one of the disputed Senkaku Islands. (Shiro Nishihata)
  • Japan Coast Guard vessels converge on a Taiwanese protest ship and spray it with a water cannon on Jan. 24 in waters near Uotsurishima island, one of the disputed Senkaku Islands. (Shiro Nishihata)
  • Japan Coast Guard vessels converge on a Taiwanese protest ship and spray it with a water cannon on Jan. 24 in waters near Uotsurishima island, one of the disputed Senkaku Islands. (Shiro Nishihata)