中国公船、尖閣沖侵入が常態化　９８日連続、最長記録更新中

　中国公船による沖縄県・尖閣諸島沖の接続水域への侵入が常態化している。２０日で連続９８日となり、これまでの最長記録だった２０１９年４～６月にかけての連続６４日を更新し続けている。最近は日本漁船への接近を繰り返すなど、威圧的な行動も目立ち、政府は警戒を強めている。
　「尖閣諸島は歴史上も、国際法上もわが国固有の領土だ。断固として守るとの思いで全力で対応している」。菅義偉官房長官は２０日の記者会見で中国公船の度重なる侵入に厳しく対応を続ける考えを示した。
　政府によると、中国公船が初めて尖閣沖の日本領海に侵入したのは０８年１２月。１２年９月の尖閣国有化以降、活発化した。４月１４日に始まった今回の連続侵入では、中国公船のべ３６５隻が接続水域に、のべ３２隻が領海に侵入。外務省幹部は「既成事実を積み上げて現状変更を狙っている」と分析する。（2020/07/20-18:38）

Chinese government ships have been spotted near the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea for an unprecedented streak of days, with some taking coercive actions, such as getting close to Japanese fishing boats.
   Chinese ships sailed in the contiguous zone outside Japan's territorial waters off the islets in Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, for 98 straight days through Monday, the longest on record. The previous record was a streak of 64 days in April-June last year.
   "The Senkaku Islands are our territory based on both history and international law," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference on Monday.
   "We're making all-out efforts with a determination to protect the territory no matter what," Suga said, indicating the government's stance to continue responding strictly to the repeated intrusions by Chinese government ships.
   According to the Japanese government, Chinese government ships made their first intrusion into Japanese territorial waters around the islet group in December 2008. Such provocative acts became more frequent after Japan nationalized some of the Senkaku Islands in September 2012.