The Chinese Coast Guard announced on Friday that its forces conducted a patrol around the disputed islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by both China and Japan.

In an official statement, the Chinese Coast Guard stated that the patrol aimed to “safeguard China’s rights and interests in accordance with the law.”

These islands, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, are uninhabited and currently administered by Japan, while China continues to assert its sovereignty over them