Japan says Chinese navy ship entered tts waters

The vessel crossed into Japan’s waters around 2:30 a.m. local time and left at about 4:10 a.m. sailing west, according to a Ministry of Defense statement.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said a Chinese navy survey ship was spotted entering the country’s territorial waters early Sunday near Yakushima, an island in the southern Kagoshima prefecture.

Chinese and Japanese flags flutter in front of the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing. (Reuters / File)

The vessel crossed into Japan’s waters around 2:30 a.m. local time and left at about 4:10 a.m. sailing west, according to a Ministry of Defense statement. The Japanese government relayed strong concerns to China over the intrusion, Kyodo reported.

Chinese ships enter Japanese territorial waters frequently, a continued point of friction between the two countries. The most recent intrusion took place in December, Kyodo said.