Japan lodges ‘serious protest’ after Chinese ships seen near disputed islands in East China Sea

Tokyo says Chinese coastguard ships have repeatedly entered waters near the islands known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan

‘The Japan Coast Guard repeatedly urged the ship to leave the area,’ a government spokesman said

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A Japan Coast Guard vessel. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:29pm, 15 Jan 2021Updated: 2:48pm, 15 Jan 2021

Tokyo has lodged a protest with Beijing over Chinese government vessels repeatedly spotted near a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea.

Chinese coastguard ships entered the waters near the islands known as Diaoyutai in China and Senkaku in Japan, Tokyo said.

One Chinese coastguard ship entered Japan’s territorial waters on Friday morning and tried to approach a Japanese fishing boat, government spokesman Katsunobu Kato told a news conference.

“The Japan Coast Guard repeatedly urged the ship to leave the area,” Kato said. “We have lodged a serious protest [to China] through diplomatic channels”.

The incident was “very regrettable”, he said.

Also on Friday morning, three other Chinese vessels were spotted in the contiguous zone near the islets.

China and Taiwan also claim the islets, where they are known as Diaoyu and Tiaoyutai, respectively.

In 2012, Japan’s purchase of some of the Senkakus set off anti-Japan protests in dozens of Chinese cities and a boycott of Japanese products.