Japanese media have been hyping up a Chinese coast guard vessel armed with what appeared to be four gun turrets wandering into waters off the Diaoyu Islands and even entering "Japan's territorial waters" in recent days. The Japanese government claimed that it had filed a formal protest against the Chinese government.

The Japanese government and media have rhetorically underlined that "it was the first time an armed Chinese vessel had been sighted in Japan's waters."

Such statements defy reason. Regarding the Diaoyu Islands as their own territory, both China and Japan have regularly dispatched patrol vessels to sail around the islands. Japanese coast guard vessels in the area are equipped with guns and cannons. How can they expect Chinese ships sailing in the area to be unarmed?

The Diaoyu Islands issue has been relatively stable in recent years, after an escalation of the conflict a few years ago.

Japan announced the nationalization of the islands, followed by a quick response by China with routine patrols by Chinese vessels within the 12-nautical-mile waters of the islands.

Although Japan has maintained a margin of superiority in terms of military presence thanks to its close proximity to the islands, it has been forced to accept the new situation and has to compete on new rules of conduct with China.

Instead of taking aggressive actions around the Diaoyu Islands, it attempts to make an issue out of Chinese vessels sailing into the 12 nautical miles of the Diaoyu Islands.  

The Japanese media have been obsessed with hyping news about the Diaoyu Islands. Coordinated by Japanese officials, the Japanese media outlets have formed a supply chain of "Diaoyu news."

By comparison, China has little interest in fighting a propaganda war with Japan over the Diaoyu Islands.

This time, Japan accused Chinese coast guard vessels of being armed with gun turrets.

But the Japan Coast Guard has dispatched patrol vessels with a displacement ranging from 1,000 tons to 6,000 tons, which are also equipped with 20-millimeter to 40-millimeter cannons. Moreover, Japan's newly built patrol vessels include rapid-fire 35-millimeter gun turret.

It's absurd that Japanese media is showing astonishment at patrols by armed Chinese ships.

The Japanese government has deliberately launched a propaganda campaign against China over the Diaoyu Islands issue.

China needs to respond in a more active and flexible manner. It should not only make strides in conducting patrols around the islands, but also think seriously of responding to the propaganda campaign of Japan.