4 Chinese Govt Ships Enter Waters near Senkakus

January 6, 2019

Naha, Okinawa Pref.--Four Chinese coast guard ships entered Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, on Saturday.

It was the first such intrusion this year. The last time Chinese government ships entered Japanese waters around the East China Sea islands was Nov. 11, 2018.

The Haijing 1305, the Haijing 2305, the Haijing 2401 and the Haijing 31241 crossed into the Japanese waters at a point north-northwest of Uotsurijima, the largest of the islands, between around 10:20 a.m. (1:20 a.m. GMT) and 10:35 a.m. Saturday, according to the Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters in the Okinawa capital of Naha.

The four ships left the waters west of the island between around 11:45 a.m. and noon.

China claims the Japanese-administered islands, known as Diaoyu in the country. Jiji Press