Chinese Ships Sighted Near Japan Owned, Taiwan Claimed Islands

Speaking at a regular daily press conference on Monday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Katō said “We take the repeated entry into the contiguous zone and intrusions into Japanese territorial waters very seriously, and have issued warnings through our coast guard ships as well as made strong protests through diplomatic channels,” adding “We will remain vigilant and, coordinating among the relevant ministries, continue to gather information and maintain surveillance over the Senkaku Islands in order to protect our territory.”

The islets, uninhabited for many years after a number of temporary Japanese workers based on the islets departed in the early 1940s, lie in an area known to be rich in sea life and with the possibility of untapped sources of gas or oil in the area according to sources.

Known as the Tiaoyutai islands in Taiwan, they have recently been ‘claimed‘ by the eastern Taiwanese county of Yilan where souvenirs are on sale touting the islands as part of the county.