One year on, Diaoyu Islands patrol continues

Vessels from the China Maritime Surveillance and the Japan Coast Guard are seen near disputed Diaoyu Islands, in the East China Sea, in this photo taken by Kyodo September 10, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

Key events

Looking back the law enforcement operations regarding the Diaoyu Islands in the past year, the Chinese government has made historical breakthroughs in its regular patrols by ships and planes:

-- On Sept 14, 2012, two fleets comprising six surveillance ships completed the first patrol in waters surrounding Diaoyu Islands after the Chinese government announced the base points and baselines of the territorial waters of the islands.

-- On Dec 13, 2012, the SOA successfully employed a surveillance plane to conduct joint patrols with a fleet of four surveillance ships within the territorial airspace and waters of the Diaoyu Islands. It was the first time that a Chinese surveillance plane had flown above the islands to declare sovereignty.

-- On Feb 4, 2013, Chinese surveillance ships found and successfully expelled Japanese fishing boats from the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Islands.

-- On April 23, 2013, a fleet of 10 Chinese law-enforcement ships drove away 10 Japanese fishing boats for their illegal activities in the waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands.

-- Since July 26, 2013, the CCG, which merges maritime law enforcement functions of the four agencies responsible for fisheries administration, maritime surveillance, customs enforcement and border control, has begun patrols and law enforcement activities in the Diaoyu Islands waters.

-- From Aug 7 morning to Aug 8, the CCG ships drove the fishing boats of the Japanese right-wing activists, which were escorted by ships from Japan Coast Guard, away from waters off the Diaoyu Islands after monitoring them for 28 hours and 36 minutes.