The Chinese Coast Guard ships have been present in the waters around the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea for a record 158 consecutive days, surpassing the previous record set in 2021. The uninhabited islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyus in China, have long been a source of tension between the two countries. The prolonged presence of Chinese ships near the islands raises concerns about a potential conflict between China and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has expressed Tokyo's 'serious concerns' about the situation to Chinese Premier Li Gongmin during a trilateral summit with South Korea in Seoul. The Senkaku Islands have been a contentious issue in Japan-China relations for years, with tensions escalating in 2012 when Tokyo purchased some of the islands from a private Japanese owner. China's continued presence near the islands is seen as a way to assert its sovereignty claims and potentially establish a legal argument for ownership. The situation also raises the risk of wider conflict due to Japan's mutual defense treaty with the United States. China's increased presence near the Senkaku Islands comes as Chinese forces assert themselves in other East Asian hotspots, including Taiwan and the South China Sea. [a35ced9c]