Japan and China trade expulsions in tense East China Sea island dispute

Japan's coast guard removed Chinese vessels from waters surrounding the contested Senkaku-Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea. China, in turn, claimed its coast guard had warned and driven away a Japanese fishing boat it deemed an intruder. The incident unfolded against a backdrop of already strained diplomatic relations between the two nations. The Senkaku-Diaoyu island chain has been a long-running territorial flashpoint between Japan and China for decades. The region carries added strategic weight due to its proximity to Taiwan.