Japanese, Taiwanese ships fire water cannons around Senkaku

Japanese and Taiwanese patrol ships fired water cannons at each other near the disputed Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu in China). Preparing early warning aircraft, combat planes and naval ships, Taiwanese authorities had planned for such a battle.

Taiwan will dispatch at least one patrol boat near Senkaku going forward. More than 20 Chinese maritime ships and 200 fishing boats operate there, making a clash over the islands highly probable.

○ First clash

Around 5 a.m. Tuesday, 60 Taiwanese fishing boats and 12 patrol vessels gathered in waters 33 kilometers south of the disputed islands. Fifty Japan Coast Guard patrol ships were guarding their territorial waters around Senkaku.

By 7:40 a.m., Taiwanese boats started to enter Japanese territorial waters. One hour later, more than 40 Taiwanese shipping boats and eight patrol vessels had assembled there.

Japanese patrol ships blocked the route and fired water cannons, and Taiwanese patrol vessels answered with the same weapons. According to Taiwan Central News Agency, Japanese patrol ships fired water cannons and sent small motor boats into waters to block Taiwanese shipping boats. Around this time, Taiwanese ships approached to within 5 kilometers near Senkaku.

China also sent four ocean surveillance ships and one fishing monitoring boat to a zone adjacent to Senkaku. The Chinese boats, however, had no clash with Japanese patrol ships as they did not enter the territorial waters.

Taiwanese ships veered back toward Taiwan about 2.5 hours later at 10 a.m. Around 11:40 a.m., all Taiwanese ships were out of waters near Senkaku and headed for the port of Suao, where they had left the previous day. According to Taiwanese media, Taiwanese fishermen said they returned because they achieved their goal of showing to the world that Diaoyu is Taiwan`s.

The Japanese government replaced the Senkaku information liaison office at the Prime Minister`s Office with an emergency measure office to track the movements of Chinese patrol and fishing boats to devise responses if necessary. Tokyo threatened to arrest Taiwanese nationals if they land on Senkaku for violating immigration law, but there was no huge suppression.

The water cannon battle means that the dispute over the Senkaku Islands has expanded to include Taiwan. Some critics say the U.S. defense against China that is linked with Korea, Japan and Taiwan has grown shaky. Washington has sided with Tokyo on the territorial dispute, but has expressed no particular opinion to avoid offending not only Beijing but also Taipei.

China says it should collaborate with Taiwan on the matter, apparently aiming to raise cooperation with what it calls a renegade province.

○ Sino-Japanese relations in a freeze

When the water cannon battle was at its peak, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun held unsuccessful talks with Deputy Japanese Foreign Minister Chikao Kawai in Beijing on easing tension over Senkaku. Kawai said nationalizing the islands will enable safer management, while Zhijun urged that Japan cancel the nationalization.

Japanese airlines have experienced massive cancellations due to the territorial dispute. According to Kyodo News on Tuesday, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways saw more than 52,000 cancellations on group tour reservations to China made between September and November. Against this backdrop, Japanese carriers will either use smaller planes for flights to China or reduce the number of flights.

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