Chinese warships' activity in Diaoyu area legitimate

China's Ministry of Defense said yesterday that its navy vessels' activities around the Diaoyu Islands are legitimate, condemning Japanese military aircraft's presence there.

"Chinese navy vessels' routine training and navigation in the waters is justified and legitimate," the ministry's bureau for press affairs said in a statement.

The statement came after a report by Japan's Fuji TV that seven Chinese navy vessels were navigating toward the Diaoyu Islands yesterday morning.

The report quoted Japan's Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto as saying that Japan has dispatched surveillance aircraft to follow the Chinese fleet, while its navy is now collecting intelligence and strengthening its surveillance over the Chinese fleet.

"It should be pointed out that Japan in recent days sent military aircraft to the waters around the Diaoyu Islands, severely infringing on China's sovereignty and interests," said the defense ministry, adding that China is now closely watching Japan's movement and demanding the Japanese stop any actions that can complicate or magnify the issue.

A Japanese military official said they were keeping a close eye on the seven Chinese warships first spotted in waters off a southern island yesterday. The Chinese ships were sighted about 49 kilometers from the island of Yonaguni in Okinawa prefecture, according to Japan's Defense Ministry. They were about 200 kilometers from the Diaoyu chain in the East China Sea. The ships were believed to be returning to China after training in the Pacific.

Japan considers the area part of its contiguous waters, but it is not illegal for foreign vessels to transit them. It is not unusual for the Chinese navy to transit waters around Okinawa en route to the Pacific, but this is the first such operation observed this year, according to public broadcaster NHK. The ships included frigates, a guided missile destroyer, a refueler and two submarine rescue vessels.