Chinese government ships seen near Senkakus for record days

Tokyo, May 27 (Jiji Press)–Chinese coast guard vessels have been sighted for 158 consecutive days in the contiguous zone near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, marking a record streak, said Monday a Japanese official.

The record was broken when four such vessels were spotted Monday in the area just outside Japanese waters around the islands, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference.

The East China Sea islands administered by Japan are claimed by China, where they are called Diaoyu.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a meeting in Seoul that Japan was seriously concerned about China's activities around the islands.

Hayashi said at the news conference that Japan was taking the situation very seriously. He added that the government would monitor the situation tensely, responding calmly and firmly.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]