19:29, 11-Jan-2018
Diaoyu Islands: Chinese vessels navigate the islands on Thursday
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China's defense ministry has confirmed that the Chinese military vessel Yiyang was navigating and patrolling the Diaoyu Islands early on Thursday. This comes after Japanese media reported on the incident. The Defense Ministry said they were there because two Japanese vessels had entered the area.
The ministry reiterated China's stance that Diaoyu Island and its adjacent islets have been an inherent part of Chinese territory since ancient times. It added that China has every right to take any actions in its territorial waters. It also strongly condemned Japan for its unreasonable protest on the issue.