Japan has expressed concern about China's actions in the South China Sea and in the West Philippine Sea as it said the Chinese activities endanger peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Japanese Embassy in Manila issued the statement on Thursday, July 6, particularly after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) [reported yet another "aggressive actions"](https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/4/11-chinese-vessels-shadowed-blocked-pcg-ships-near-ayungin-shoal-official) committed by the Chinese Coast Guard when it blocked the path of the Philippine ship.
"During the operation, the PCG was constantly followed, harassed, and obstructed by the significantly larger Chinese Coast Guard vessels at a distance of approximately 100 yards," the PCG reported.
Japan also protested against China's incursion into its own waters.
"As China’s unilateral actions such as repeated intrusions into Japan’s waters around the Senkaku Islands in the ECS, China's dangerous behavior in the South China Sea in defiance of the 2016 arbitration award is a grave concern for regional peace and stability," the embassy said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had repeatedly lodged diplomatic protests against China's dangerous activities in the South China Sea and incursions into the West Philippine Sea.
As of July 5, DFA said, the Philippine government already filed 427 diplomatic protests against Beijing just for the past three years—30 of which were just filed in 2023.