According to Japanese reports, two Chinese government vessels entered Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea early Monday.

The ships entered Japanese waters off Minami-kojima Island about 4 a.m. local time, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

According to NHK, Japanese coast guard units warned the Chinese ships to leave immediately. This is the 11th time in 2021 that official Chinese vessels have entered Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands.

Japan governs the Senkaku Islands, but China still claims them. In terms of tradition and international law, the Japanese government insists that the islands are an inalienable part of Japan's territory. According to Japan, there is no question of sovereignty to be discussed over them.

Maritime Business World