4 Chinese Coast Guard Ships Enter Japanese Waters

Naha, Okinawa Pref., May 24 (Jiji Press)--Four Chinese coast guard ships entered Japanese waters from two points around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Wednesday.

The intrusions were the 15th and 16th such cases this year, and the first since a similar incident from Saturday to Sunday.

According to the Japan Coast Guard's 11th regional headquarters in Naha, Okinawa's capital, two ships entered Japanese waters north-northwest of the Senkaku island of Taisho between 4 p.m. (7 a.m. GMT) and 4:08 p.m.

The other two entered waters southeast of Kuba Island, also part of the island chain, between 4:18 p.m. and 4:24 p.m.

Following warnings from JCG patrol boats, the two vessels near Taisho Island and the two near Kuba Island left Japanese waters around 5:50 p.m.-5:59 p.m. and 5:54 p.m.-5:59 p.m., respectively.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]