08/01/2013 14:32
Japan protests over China ships near disputed islands
Japan has summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest against the presence of government ships in waters around disputed islands, BBC said.
This is the first such protest under new PM Shinzo Abe, who was elected last month. It also comes amid reports that he wants to increase defence spending.
Chinese ships have sailed near the islands many times since Japan bought them from a private owner last year.
Both claim the islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.
The row over the islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan, has left ties between Tokyo and Beijing tense.
The dispute over their ownership has rumbled for years but the Japanese government's acquisition of three of the islands from their private Japanese owner sparked a renewed row, triggering public protests in some Chinese cities.
Since then Chinese ships have been sailing in and out of waters around the islands, prompting warnings from Japan.
Japan's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Akitaka Saiki met Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua in Tokyo to lodge a protest after four Chinese government ships were spotted in the area on Monday.
Mr Saiki "strongly demanded that such incidents do not happen again", a ministry statement said.