8 Chinese ships sail near disputed islands: Japan

Japan's coastguard said that the vessels entered the waters off the islands, which the Chinese call the Diaoyu and the Japanese call the Senkaku, around 8:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
 
The move prompted Japan's Foreign Ministry to summon the Chinese ambassador to Tokyo in protest.
 
    "It is extremely deplorable and unacceptable that Chinese government ships are repeatedly entering Japanese territorial waters. We have made a firm protest against China both in Beijing and Tokyo," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters.
 
 
A group of Japanese nationalists, meanwhile, said it had sent nine vessels to the area around the disputed islands.
 
Japan and China have long been competing over the sovereignty of the uninhabited islands, which are located near a crucial shipping lane and would give the owner exclusive oil, mineral and fishing rights in the surrounding waters.
 
On September 11, Tokyo signed a deal to buy three of the islands from their private Japanese owner in line with plans to nationalize the archipelago.
 
Tensions in the relations between Tokyo and Beijing have escalated since Japan nationalized three of the disputed islands, which happen to be claimed by Taiwan as well.