The Japanese government yesterday formally protested the entry of an armed Chinese government ship and two other vessels into waters that it claims as its own, according to a Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official.
This is the first time that an armed Chinese vessel has intruded into an areas that Japan claims as its territory, the official said.
The vessel was formerly a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship and is now operated by another department, according to the official, who asked not to be identified, citing government policy.
The ship is armed with an automatic cannon, although the main armament has been removed, the official said.
The three vessels approached waters north of Japan’s Kuba Island — which is just north of the disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyutai (釣魚台) in Taiwan — at about 8:19am, entering Japanese territorial waters starting from 9:30am and leaving by 10:50am, according to e-mailed Japanese Coast Guard statements. Taiwan and China also claim the Diaoyutais.
The armed vessel was the same one that the coast guard on Tuesday reported was sailing in waters 28km east-northeast of one of the Senkakus, according to a coast guard official, who asked not to be named, citing government policy.
Ships from both nations have been tailing one another in the area since Japan bought three of the uninhabited islands from a private owner in 2012. The dispute is among the biggest diplomatic issues between the two nations.
The Japanese government protested to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo and to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, according to a Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official.
The entry of the three ships yesterday was the 139th time that Chinese government vessels have entered Japan’s waters since September 2012, the official said.
When Japan’s coast guard warned the Chinese to leave its territorial waters yesterday, they responded by saying that the Japanese vessel was in Chinese waters and should leave immediately, Kyodo news agency reported.
This is the 35th time this year that Chinese government vessels have entered Japan’s territorial waters, according to Kyodo.
Japan’s Cabinet approved a record defense budget on Thursday amid China’s increasing military activity in the region.
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