6 Chinese surveillance ships sailing in waters near Senkakus

Selasa, 02 Oktober 2012 13:07

(NAHA-Kyodo) Six Chinese surveillance ships were navigating in waters in the contiguous zone surrounding the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, the Japan Coast Guard said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told a news conference in Tokyo that while the government has not determined if the presence of the Chinese ships in the contiguous zone has become usual, it "will gather intelligence through coordination of relevant ministries and agencies."

A contiguous zone is a band of water just outside a nation's territorial waters.

The government has set up a task force at the prime minister's office's crisis management center to deal with the issue.

The coast guard was warning the Chinese vessels over the radio not to enter Japan's territorial waters.

The 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, said four of the six were sailing southeast in waters 27 kilometers west-northwest of Uotsuri Island, the biggest among the five main islands of the Senkaku group, while the other two were sailing west-northwest in waters 29 km south of Uotsuri as of 10 a.m.

The four temporarily entered the contiguous zone Monday before leaving there later in the day, while the other two have been staying there since Monday evening.

On Monday, seven vessels -- one Taiwanese patrol ship and six Chinese ships -- were spotted in the contiguous zone. The Taiwanese ship and four Chinese ones left later in the day.

The moves came amid continued tensions over the sovereignty of the islands which China and Taiwan also claim.