Japan protests 'intrusion' by Chinese ships into its territorial waters

KARACHI, Pakistan

Japan on Wednesday lodged a protest with China after four Chinese Coast Guard ships were allegedly spotted entering Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

The Chinese ships, according to a top Japanese official, began entering Tokyo's territorial waters at around 10 a.m. (local time) and left by around noon.

Calling the incident "unacceptable," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said: "The latest intrusion is a violation of international law," according to a recording of his daily news conference.

Hayashi vowed to respond "resolutely to such Chinese actions to defend Japanese territorial waters and airspace."

The Senkaku Islands, administered by Japan but claimed by China, remain a bone of contention between the two Asian giants.

Beijing, for its part, said that a China Coast Guard (CCG) fleet on Wednesday patrolled the territorial waters of China's Diaoyu Dao (the Senkaku Islands).

The patrol was aimed at protecting China's rights and interests in accordance with the law, the CCG said in a statement.

The latest incident, Tokyo said, marked the second intrusion into Japanese territorial waters around the islands by Chinese vessels this year.

Chinese vessels last intruded into territorial waters around the Senkakus on Dec. 6, according to Japan Coast Guard.

"It's truly regrettable and unacceptable that the Chinese coast guard vessels entered the Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands," Hayashi was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.

"We will do our utmost in carrying our warning and surveillance activities and respond to China in a calm yet resolute manner," he further said.