China ships enter waters near disputed islands

Six Chinese surveillance ships have entered waters near islands claimed by both China and Japan.

China said the ships were carrying out "law enforcement" to demonstrate its jurisdiction over the islands, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan.
Two of the vessels left after the Japanese coast guard issued a warning, Japanese officials say.
The move came after Japan sealed a deal to buy three of the islands from their private Japanese owner.
Japan controls the uninhabited but resource-rich East China Sea islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan.
'No force' The Japanese Coast Guard said the first two Chinese boats entered Japan's territorial waters at 06:18 local time (21:18 GMT Thursday), followed by another fleet of four other ships just after 07:00.

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Japan-China disputed islands

• The archipelago consists of five islands and three reefs
• Japan, China and Taiwan claim them; they are controlled by Japan and form part of Okinawa prefecture
• The Japanese government signed a deal in September 2012 to purchase three islands from Japanese businessman Kunioki Kurihara, who used to rent them out to the Japanese state
• The islands were the focus of a major diplomatic row between Japan and China in 2010

• Q&A: China-Japan islands row

The first two ships then left the area. No force was used, Japanese officials added.

"Our patrol vessels are currently telling them to leave our country's territorial waters," the coastguard said in a statement.
The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that its ships were there.
"These law enforcement and patrol activities are aimed to demonstrate China's jurisdiction over the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islets and ensure the country's maritime interests," a statement said.
The US has called for ''cooler heads to prevail'' as tension intensifies between China and Japan over the islands, which lie south of Okinawa and north of Taiwan.
The Japanese government says it is buying the islands to promote their stable and peaceful management.
Its move followed a bid by right-wing Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara to buy the islands using public donations - an action that would likely have further raised tensions with China.
China, on the other hand, says the islands have historically been its territory and fishing grounds.
China's defence ministry has issued a strongly-worded statement against Japan's move to buy the islands.
"We are watching closely the evolution of the situation and reserve the right to take reciprocal measures,'' ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

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