Chinese navy vessel enters Japan waters near Kagoshima Pref. islands

A Chinese navy survey vessel on Sunday entered Japan's territorial waters near islands close to the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima, the latest confirmed sighting of Chinese ships in the area since December, the Defense Ministry said.

A survey ship crossed into Japanese waters from southwest of Yakushima Island in the prefecture at around 2:30 a.m., the ministry said, marking the seventh entry by a Chinese survey vessel into waters off Kagoshima since November 2021.