East China Sea tensions rise as Chinese coastguard overshadows Japanese mayor’s ‘symbolic’ trip to disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands

• Tokyo has lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing and ordered Chinese ships to stay out of its territory after two coastguard ships entered waters near the island chain
• The incident coincided with the first trip to the islands by the mayor of Ishigaki, the Japanese municipality that administers the uninhabited islands