Senkaku Islands
These reinforcements are mostly in relation to the Japanese uninhabited Senkaku Islands, which lie north of Ishigaki and are under the control of the mayor of Ishigaki, which has been given civic authority over the territory since the Senkaku Islands reverted from the US to the Japanese government control in 1972. China (People's Republic of China) and Taiwan (Republic Of China) have challenged Japan's sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands since 1972, with more intensity since 2012.