3 Chinese ships enter disputed waters–Japan

In this Sept. 2, 2012 file photo, the survey ship Koyo Maru, left, chartered by Tokyo city officials, sails around Minamikojima, foreground, Kitakojima, middle right, and Uotsuri, background, the tiny islands in the East China Sea, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. AP FILE PHOTO

TOKYO – Three Chinese government ships entered the territorial waters of disputed Tokyo-controlled islands on Monday, Japan’s coastguard said.

The three surveillance ships were navigating in the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters around the Senkakus, which Beijing claims and calls the Diaoyus, at around 1:30 pm (0430 GMT), the coastguard said.

Chinese government ships have frequently spent time around the disputed island chain since Tokyo nationalised three of the isles last September.

The islands are also claimed by Taiwan.