3 Chinese Govt Ships Enter Japanese Waters near Senkakus

July 4, 2018

Naha, Okinawa Pref.- Three Chinese coast guard ships briefly sailed in Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa on Wednesday.

It was the first such intrusion by any Chinese government ship since June 25 and the 13th this year.

It was also the first such action since the China Coast Guard was placed under the Chinese People's Armed Police Force, a quasi-military group of the Communist Party of China's Central Military Commission, earlier this month.

According to the Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters based in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, the Haijing 2305, Haijing 2401 and Haijing 31241 entered Japanese waters north-northwest of Uotsurijima, the largest of the Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea, between around 10:20 a.m. (1:20 a.m. GMT) and 10:30 a.m.

The ships left the area between around 11:45 a.m. and noon.

The islands are claimed by China, which calls them Diaoyu. Jiji Press