China Navy. File photo TOKYO, May 9. Two ships of the Chinese patrol service entered the territorial waters of Japan in the area of the Senkaku Islands, NHK reports. In the morning, the ships entered the area of the indicated islands claimed by China and tried to approach Japanese fishing boats. To ensure the safety of Japanese fishermen, the National Maritime Security Service sent patrol ships to the area, and also urges PRC ships to leave Japan's territorial waters. The Senkaku Islands (Chinese name for Diaoyu) are the subject of a territorial dispute between China and Japan. In Tokyo they claim that the Japanese side has occupied them since 1895, in Beijing they remind that on Japanese maps of 1783 and 1785 the islands are designated as Chinese territory. After World War II, the Senkaku were under US control and were handed over to Japan in 1972. It is believed in Taiwan and mainland China that Japan is holding them illegally. For its part, Tokyo believes that China and Taiwan have been claiming the islands since the 1970s, when it became clear that their water area is rich in minerals. The territorial dispute further aggravated after the Japanese government bought three of the five islands of the archipelago from a private Japanese owner in 2012, thus emphasizing their state status. .jpg» />Chinese military exercises near Taiwan
