30 Dec
Japan's Coast Guard says four Chinese patrol ships entered Japanese territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Monday. They remained for about 90 minutes before leaving.
Coast Guard officials say the four vessels entered seas near Kubashima, one of the islands, starting a little before 11 a.m.
The government set up a taskforce at the prime minister's office to monitor the situation.
The ships left by half past noon and were navigating near the area.
The Coast Guard is warning them not to approach Japanese territorial waters.
This is the 32nd time Chinese patrol ships have entered Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands this year. The previous intrusion took place on December 17.
Japan controls the islands. The government maintains that they are an inherent part of Japan's territory. China and Taiwan claim them.
NHK
