Japan spots Chinese ships near Senkaku Islands for record 158th day

Chinese ships were spotted near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Monday for the 158th consecutive day, setting a new record since the Japanese government placed the islets under state control in 2012 .

A total of four Chinese coast guard vessels were discovered sailing just outside Japanese territorial waters by a Japanese coast guard vessel.

The continued presence of Chinese ships around the uninhabited islets, which Beijing claims and calls the Diaoyu, highlights ongoing tensions between the two Asian neighbors over them.

The situation is “extremely serious,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference. “We will be vigilant in monitoring (Chinese ships) with a sense of urgency and respond to China in a calm and resolute manner.”

Japan's coast guard discovered four Chinese ships sailing around the disputed islands on Monday, a day after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held his first formal bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The discussions took place Monday on the sidelines of a trilateral summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul.

One of the four ships was equipped with what was believed to be a cannon, according to the Japanese coast guard.

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