Japan lodged a protest to Beijing on Friday after 4 armed ships from the Chinese Coast Guard entered waters that Tokyo considers its own.
The Japanese government stated that this is the first time that 4 Chinese ships, apparently armed with cannons, have entered Japanese territorial waters in the East China Sea surrounding the disputed islands, which Tokyo calls Senkaku while Beijing refers to them as Diaoyu.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, stated at a press conference, "I am not in a position to determine the intentions of the Chinese side, but the intrusion of Chinese Coast Guard ships into our territorial waters is a violation of international law."
Confrontations between the two countries over the uninhabited islands, which are under Japanese control, have recurred.