Chinese warships cross waters near Japan island

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http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC121016-0000093/Chinese-warships-cross-waters-near-Japan-island

Japanese military officials said they were keeping a close eye on seven Chinese warships spotted in waters off a southern island yesterday.

The Chinese ships were sighted about 49 kilometers from the island of Yonaguni, in Japan's Okinawa prefecture, according to Japan's Defence Ministry.

They were about 200 kilometers from a chain of small islands that have sparked a heated dispute between Japan and China.

The ships were believed to be returning to China after training in the Pacific.

Defence Minister Satoshi Morimoto said Japan is monitoring the ships' movement. Japan considers the area part of its contiguous waters, but it is not illegal for foreign vessels to transit them.

It is not unusual for the Chinese navy to transit waters around Okinawa en route to the Pacific, but this is the first such operation observed this year, according to public broadcaster NHK. The ships included frigates, a guided missile destroyer, a refueller and two submarine rescue vessels.

It was unclear if their mission was directly related to the territorial issue, or whether they were trying to avoid an approaching typhoon.

Japan angered China last month by nationalizing part of a chain of East China Sea islands called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. The move sparked violent protests in China.

Wary of missteps that could lead to a sudden escalation of tensions, the countries have instead sent less threatening coast guard ships. Over the past week, however, both have made a point of showing off their naval prowess.