Analysis
China's Maritime Gambit Is Backfiring—And Beijing Knows It
China's maritime pressure campaign against Japan is backfiring, with Chinese Coast Guard vessels operating near the Senkaku Islands on 357 days in 2025. Japan's destroyer JS Ikazuchi transited the Taiwan Strait on April 17, 2026, signaling resistance to Beijing's claims. China fields 161 coast guard vessels over 1,000 tons compared to Japan's 78, yet Japan's advanced capabilities and growing regional coalition are making Chinese expansion increasingly costly.