The Chinese destroyer Harbin is one of the seven ships that drew close to the islands on Tuesday. (Photo/Xinhua)

Seven PLA naval vessels entered waters around the disputed Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands in the East China Sea on Oct. 16 for the first time since three of the islands were nationalized by the Japanese government on Sept. 11.

The ships included two destroyers, two frigates, two frigates, two submarine rescue ships and a refueling tanker. They were detected by a Japanese surviliance aircraft between the Okinawa islands of Yonaguni and Iriomoto on Tuesday morning. The ships are from the PLA’s North and East Sea fleets.

Japan’s defense minister, Satoshi Morimoto, said the Japan Maritime Defense Force is paying close attention to the movements of the Chinese fleet in its territorial waters.

After the islands were nationalized by the Japanese government last month, Chinese ocean surviliance and fishery administration ships began to enter the disputed waters on what they have called routine patrols, with the Japanese coast guard and Chinese vessels both demanding the other depart from what they both claim as their territorial waters.

Admiral Cecil Haney, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, told the Japanese media that the Chinese vessels have the right to navigate in the open sea, but it is necessary for Beijing to clarify its intent in order to avoid further conflict.

As the islands are also claimed by Taiwan, the ROC defense minister Kao Hua-chu has also said that Taiwan’s military is also keeping an eye on the movements of the PLA vessels. Kao said that the country’s military has the responsibility to coordinate with its coast guard to defend the rights of the Taiwanese fishermen in the disputed waters.

The islands are known as Diaoyu in China, Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyutai in Taiwan.

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Kao Hua-chu　　高華柱