NAHA – Four China Coast Guard ships sailed in Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, on Thursday.
It was the first intrusion by Chinese government ships into Japanese waters off the Senkaku island chain in the East China Sea since April 28.
According to the Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters based in Naha, the four vessels entered Japanese waters near Uotsuri Island, part of the Senkaku chain, between 4:15 p.m. and 4:35 p.m., and left the area at around 6 p.m.
The Japanese-administered islands are claimed by China, where they are called Diaoyu.