Chinese ships in disputed waters—Japan

JAPAN, AT SEA: This handout photograph taken by the Japan Coast Guard on February 2, 2013 shows a coast guard vessel (R) chasing a Chinese fishing boat near Miyako island in Okinawa prefecture, in East China Sea. AFP PHOTO / JAPAN COAST GUARD

TOKYO—Three Chinese government ships on Thursday plied waters around islands controlled by Tokyo and claimed by Beijing, the Japanese coastguard said.

The maritime surveillance vessels entered the 12-nautical-mile zone regarded as the territorial waters of Uotsurijima, one of the Senkaku islands, which China calls the Diaoyus, in the East China Sea shortly before 8:30 a.m. (2330 GMT Wednesday), the coastguard said.

The three vessels left the zone after about three hours, it said later.

Ships from the two countries have for months traded warnings over intrusions into what both regard as sovereign areas as Beijing and Tokyo jostle over ownership of the strategically sited and resource-rich islands.

A territorial row that dates back four decades reignited last September when Tokyo nationalized three islands in the chain, in what it said was a mere administrative change of ownership.

Former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama came under fire this week after he said he understood China’s claim to the islands.

Hatoyama, whose stint in the top job is usually regarded as a bit of a disaster, told Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television it was “unavoidable” that China believed Japan “stole” the Senkaku islands.

Japan’s top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday declared himself dumbfounded over the remark.

Goshi Hosono, secretary-general of the center-left Democratic Party of Japan which Hatoyama helped to found, said the remark was “extremely inappropriate” and urged him to reflect on what he said.