Japan's coastguard said Thursday it fired water cannon at a Taiwanese boat loaded with activists and heading for Tokyo-controlled islands at the centre of a bitter international dispute.
"After entering our country's contiguous zone, the vessel with foreign activists on board continued sailing east. So our patrol boat carried out restrictions on the vessel such as blocking its path and discharging water," it said in a statement.
The coastguard said at the time of the confrontation, the Taiwanese boat was around 32 kilometres (20 miles) west-southwest of the Senkakus, claimed by Taiwan and China as the Tiaoyus and Diaoyus, respectively.
It also confirmed Taiwanese coastguard statements that the boat was headed away from the flashpoint.
"The vessel left our country's contiguous zone at around 1:30 pm (0430 GMT) and continued sailing west-southwest away from the Senkakus," the coastguard said.
"After entering our country's contiguous zone, the vessel with foreign activists on board continued sailing east. So our patrol boat carried out restrictions on the vessel such as blocking its path and discharging water," it said in a statement.
The coastguard said at the time of the confrontation, the Taiwanese boat was around 32 kilometres (20 miles) west-southwest of the Senkakus, claimed by Taiwan and China as the Tiaoyus and Diaoyus, respectively.
It also confirmed Taiwanese coastguard statements that the boat was headed away from the flashpoint.
"The vessel left our country's contiguous zone at around 1:30 pm (0430 GMT) and continued sailing west-southwest away from the Senkakus," the coastguard said.
