China sent six patrolboats to the East China Sea near disputed islands, in the latest stage of a confrontation with Japan after Tokyo nationalized the contended territory.
China’s Foreign Ministry explained in a statement early on Friday that the surveillance ships were carrying out ‘law enforcement over China’s maritime rights.’
‘The Chinese side has taken completely justifiable actions to uphold its rights and interests,’ said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei, adding that the move was a ‘normal performance duty.’ The ships, which had reached disputed waters around 7:00 am local time on Friday, all left the area by the afternoon.
When ordered to leave, the Chinese ships replied ‘these islands have been Chinese territory since ancient times,’ according to the Japanese coast guard. The Japanese government, which had sealed a deal to purchase the islands earlier this week, called Beijing’s move unprecedented and summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest.
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