Chinese ships seen near Senkakus for record-tying 215th straight day
NAHA (Kyodo) -- Chinese coast guard ships were spotted near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea for the 215th consecutive day, the Japan Coast Guard said Saturday, matching the longest streak since Japan put the islets under state control in 2012.
The group of uninhabited islets, which China claims and calls Diaoyu, has long been a source of friction between the Asian neighbors.
Four Chinese coast guard ships equipped with autocannons were confirmed to have sailed in the contiguous zone just outside Japan's territorial waters on Saturday, the Japan Coast Guard said.
The Japan Coast Guard warned the ships not to approach Japanese territorial waters.
The previous 215-day streak of Chinese ships sailing near the Senkakus ended on July 23, 2024, likely due to the approach of a typhoon.
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