THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
July 6, 2020 at 17:05 JST
The disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea in 2013 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Two China Coast Guard ships intruded into Japan's territorial waters off the disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, the fourth consecutive day of such activity.
The vessels arrived on July 2 and departed at 5:45 p.m. on July 5.
According to the Japan Coast Guard, the ships entered the territorial waters off Uotsurishima island, one of the Senkaku Islands, on the evening of July 2 and approached a Japanese fishing boat.
A Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel maneuvered between the fishing boat and the Chinese ships, and repeatedly warned the ships to leave. But, even after the fishing boat moved on to the fishing grounds off Taishoto island, the two Chinese ships pursued it.
The two Chinese ships departed on the evening of July 5, soon after the fishing boat left the territorial waters.
The two ships were outside Japan's territorial waters from late July 3 to early July 4.
The Chinese government vessels spent about 39 hours in a row between July 4 and 5 in Japan's territorial waters, the longest period since the government purchased the uninhabited Senkaku islands from a private owner in September 2012, according to the Japan Coast Guard.
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