Japan Coast Guard officials say two Chinese government ships have entered Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
The officials say the ships entered the waters off Minamikojima island at around 2:40 a.m. on Friday, after navigating in the contiguous zone just outside the territorial waters with two other Chinese government ships.
The Japanese government has lodged a protest over two Chinese patrol ships that navigated in Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands for more than two days. It's the longest intrusion into the waters in eight years.
Coast guard officials say the Chinese vessels entered the waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Sunday morning. They left the waters on Tuesday evening, more than 57 hours later.
The Japan Coast Guard says two Chinese patrol ships have entered Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, and are repeatedly trying to approach a Japanese fishing boat.
Coast Guard officials say two of the three Chinese vessels that had been sailing just outside the territorial waters made the intrusion off Taisho Island shortly before 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide says the government will make its best efforts to patrol territorial waters, after commenting on two Chinese patrol ships that remained for more than 39 hours.
Two Chinese patrol ships entered waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on July 2, and approached a Japanese fishing boat.
Japan's Coast Guard says Chinese patrol ships have entered Japanese territorial waters on consecutive days and sailed for an extended time within them.
The officials say two Chinese patrol ships entered the waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea after 4 p.m. on Thursday. They say the two ships repeatedly approached a Japanese fishing boat inside the territorial waters.