Japan tracks Chinese frigate near disputed isles

TOKYO: Japan said Thursday it was tracking a Chinese frigate in waters surrounding islands in the East China Sea, the first such incursion in more than a year near the flashpoint isles claimed by both countries.

Japanese navy ships spotted the 4,000-tonne Jiangkai II class frigate around 11:00 am (0200 GMT) in waters surrounding the Tokyo-administered isles, called Senkaku in Japan and also claimed as the Diaoyu islands by China.

Japanese defence ministry spokesperson Go Yamaguchi said that a submarine of unknown nationality had also been spotted entering the contiguous waters off the disputed islands.

Contiguous waters are a 12-nautical-mile band that extends beyond territorial waters.



Under international rules, they are not the preserve of any single country, although the resident power has certain limited rights.

"We are monitoring the vessels and sending a message to them that they entered the contiguous waters near Japanese territory," said Yamaguchi.

The official told it was the first such incursion since June 2016.
Relations between Japan and China deteriorated in 2012 when Tokyo "nationalised" some of the islets.

Since then, the two top Asian economies have taken gradual steps to mend fences but relations remain tense.

Chinese coastguard vessels routinely travel around the disputed islands.

Japan's vice foreign minister Shinsuke Sugiyama met Chinese ambassador Cheng Yonghua later Thursday but no details of the meeting were immediately available and neither official commented to the media.