Naha, Okinawa Pref.- Four Chinese coast guard ships entered Japanese territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa on Tuesday.

It was the first such intrusion into Japanese waters by Chinese government ships since Thursday, and the 14th this year.

According to the Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, the Haijing 2166, Haijing 2305, Haijing 2308, Haijing 33115 crossed into Japanese waters at a point north-northwest of Uotsurijima, the largest of the Japanese-administrated island group in the East China Sea, between around 10:05 a.m. (1:05 a.m. GMT) and 10:20 a.m.

The four ships left the waters at a point southwest of Uotsurijima between 11:45 a.m. and noon.

The islands are claimed by China, where they are known as Diaoyu. (Jiji Press)