Four China Coast Guard vessels intruded successively into territorial waters off Uotsuri Island of the Senkaku Islands of Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, between 10:16 a.m. and 10:32 a.m. Sunday, according to the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha.
A Japan Coast Guard patrol boat issued a warning to withdraw from the territorial waters, and all four vessels departed the area by about 12:04 p.m.
It marked the first intrusion into territorial waters by a China Coast Guard vessel since April 13.
Initially, the four vessels sailed into the contiguous zone of the Senkakus, then suddenly directed their bows toward the territorial waters and proceeded to intrude in single file.
One of the four was equipped with "a cannon-like object."
On Sunday, the Japanese government protested to the Chinese government through diplomatic routes about the intrusion by the China Coast Guard vessels.
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