Japan says China ships entered disputed waters

Japan says two Chinese ships have sailed into disputed waters off the East China Sea, two days after US President Barack Obama declared his support for Japan.

The Chinese coastguards entered the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters off one of the Senkaku islands, which China claims and calls Diaoyus, at around noon local time (0300 GMT) on Saturday, according to a statement by Japan’s coastguard.

The incident marks a series of incursions by state-owned Chinese ships into the disputed zone, and the first move since Obama announced Thursday that Washington would defend Japan if China initiates an attack in the territorial dispute.

Chinese vessels and aircraft have regularly approached the East China Sea archipelago, believed to be rich in natural resources, after Japan nationalized some of the islands in September 2012, setting off the latest round in a long-running territorial dispute.

Fears of an ensuing conflict grew in November 2013, when China imposed an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea and announced that it required notification from planes crossing the area.