China Military Vessel Enters Waters around Japan’s Yakushima Island

A Chinese Navy Shupang-class survey ship entered Japanese territorial waters around Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said on the day.

It was the 11th time since February for a Chinese naval vessel to intrude into Japan’s waters.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea forbids surveying activities to be carried out by vessels — including military ships — in other countries’ territorial waters. The government has lodged protests with China through diplomatic channels.

According to the ministry, the ship entered Japanese waters off the island’s southwest coast at about 10 a.m. Thursday and left around 1 p.m. from the west side of Kuchinoerabu Island in the prefecture, traveling westward.