In this file picture provided by Japan Coast Guard, an armed Chinese coast guard ship sails in the water near islands, known as the Senkaku in Japanese and the Diaoyu in Chinese. (Japan Coast Guard via AP File Photo)
Japan will respond to any intrusion by Chinese naval vessels into the waters around the disputed Senkaku islands, known in China as the Diaoyus, by ordering its Self-Defence Force ships to patrol the area, the Yomiuri newspaper reported today.
The SDF ships will be dispatched to urge Chinese naval vessels to leave if they come within about 22 kilometres (13.7 miles) of the Senkaku, the newspaper said. Japan informed China of its intentions after Chinese ships sailed around the islands last November, it added.
International laws grant the right of passage of naval ships within other nations' territorial waters as long as they don't pose a threat to security, the report said.
© Thomson Reuters 2016