Taiwan sends ships near disputed Diaoyu Islands

Two Taiwanese coastguard ships on Thursday set sail for waters near a disputed archipelago in the East China Sea, officials said, amid an ongoing territorial row among Taiwan, Beijing and Japan.

The vessels are expected to get about 37 to 56 kilometres west of the disputed Diaoyu Islands to offer round-the-clock protection for Taiwanese fishermen, said a coastguard official.

The move came after Japan announced on Tuesday that it had completed its planned purchase of the islands, which are known as Senkaku in Japanese and are also claimed by Taiwan and Beijing.

Taipei has recalled its envoy to Japan to protest the Japanese move while Beijing has dispatched two patrol ships to assert its sovereignty following the purchase.

The islands have long been at the centre of a territorial dispute between Japan and Beijing and a major row was sparked last month after activists from both sides sailed to the archipelago.

Japan arrested 14 activists who sailed to the area from Hong Kong, triggering protests by Beijing and Taiwan, and moved swiftly to deport them.