Japan Says Chinese Ships Near Disputed Islands Should Leave
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Japan’s government made an official demand for vessels from China that are surrounding a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea to leave and not return, saying their presence could cause escalated tensions between the two nations.
The waters surrounding the islands contained six Chinese Coast Guard ships and about 230 Chinese fishing vessels as of about 8:05 a.m. Tokyo time, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an e-mailed statement Saturday. The government made the demand to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, according to the statement.