TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China plans to increase its Coast Guard presence around the Japan-controlled Diaoyutai Islands in 2024, a territory that both China and Taiwan also claim as their own.

Kyodo News reported on Saturday (Dec. 30) that sources said Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) visited the Coast Guard branch responsible for the islands in late November, and emphasized the need to “constantly strengthen” its sovereignty claims. The Coast Guard reportedly drafted a plan to keep ships near the islands for every day of 2024, up from a reported record of 336 days in 2022.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry provided a statement to Taiwan News that said amid frequent Chinese Coast Guard activity around the islands, Taiwan calls on “relevant parties” to cease taking actions that undermine regional peace and stability.

“The Diaoyutai Islands are (Taiwan’s) inherent territory, and there is no doubt that any unilateral claims and actions taken by other parties cannot change this fact,” the statement read, echoing past communications on the Diaoyutai issue.

China asserts its sovereignty over the islands, but has never mounted a legal challenge to Japan’s administration over them. The Chinese government says that the islands were historically a part of Taiwan to justify its sovereignty claims over the territory.

Taiwan’s government has likewise not challenged Japan’s sovereignty claims over the islands in international courts, despite also claiming the territories. The Japanese government has not pursued development on the islands, which it calls the Senkaku Islands.

The Taiwan government’s sovereignty over the islands remains politically contentious in Taiwan. Third party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was criticized by politicians from both major parties in June after he said that Taiwan was not interested in taking over Diaoyutai.