China patrol boats confronts Japanese ship near disputed islands

Beijing: China says its patrol boats confronted Japanese vessels near disputed East China Sea islands in the latest in a series of encounters. The State Oceanic Administration said four ships from China Marine Surveillance entered waters near the islands at 10 am (0200 GMT) Tuesday. It said they “carried out expulsion measures” against Japanese Coast Guard ships in the area. [caption id=“attachment_507899” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Ships of China Marine Surveillance and Japan Coast Guard steam side by side near disputed islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. AP[/caption] Japanese Coast Guard spokesman Yuji Kito said ships from both countries flashed signs saying they were in their own territorial waters and demanding the other side leave. China has been carrying out increasingly frequent patrols around the islands since stridently protesting the Japanese government’s decision to nationalize them last month. The uninhabited islets are known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. They are also claimed by Taiwan. AP