Japan spots Chinese ships near disputed isles for record 216 straight days

Tokyo: Japan spotted Chinese vessels sailing near disputed islets in the East China Sea for a record 216 consecutive days, Tokyo s coast guard said Su...

Tokyo: Japan spotted Chinese vessels sailing near disputed islets in the East China Sea for a record 216 consecutive days, Tokyo's coast guard said Sunday.

The Tokyo-administered islands, known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, have long been a sore point between the neighbours.

On Sunday, Japan said it observed four Chinese coast guard vessels sailing in the "contiguous" zone, referring to a 12-nautical-mile band that extends beyond Japan's territorial waters.

Last year, Chinese vessels sailed near the Tokyo-administered island chain a record 355 times, including for a period of 215 consecutive days, a Japanese coast guard spokesman told AFP.

Japanese officials regularly protest the presence of the Chinese coast guard and other vessels in the waters surrounding the remote, disputed islands.