Four police helicopters parked at Naha Airport for guarding the Senkaku Islands

Four police helicopters parked at Naha Airport for guarding the Senkaku Islands

Senkaku Islands (documentary photograph)


August 13, 2020 Ryukyu Shimpo

Around 6:00 p.m. on August 12, it was confirmed that four large helicopters belonging to the Metropolitan Police Department, the Osaka Prefectural Police, and the like are parked at Naha Airport. According to Okinawa Prefectural Police personnel, these helicopters were dispatched in preparation for the closing of the fishing season for Chinese fishing boats in the East China Sea on August 16, and are poised for guard activities near the Senkaku Islands.

In June this year the Ishigaki City Assembly adopted a bill for changing “Tonoshiro” (on Ishigaki Island) to “Tonoshiro Senkaku” using the characters used for the Senkaku Islands, therby emphasizing opposition to China’s position on sovereignty of the islands. Concerned persons mentioned that 100-200 fishing boats from Zhejiang Province and the like entered Japan’s exclusive economic zone and territorial waters, and these persons also reported that the boats were being used for fishing activities.

According to Okinawa Prefectural Police personnel the large helicopters from other prefectural police departments have been dispatched to Naha Airport for several years, and are collectively used during the closed fishing season for Chinese fishing boats.

Helicopters belonging to police departments from other prefectures poised for guarding the Senkaku Islands on August 12 at Naha Airport (photograph by Moriaki Kise)

(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)

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