Japan sights China, Russia warships near disputed islands

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has protested to Beijing after spotting Chinese and Russian warships just outside its territorial waters around the disputed East China Sea islands. Japan’s Defense Ministry says a Chinese frigate sailed inside the contiguous zone, just outside Japanese territorial waters around Senkaku Islands, which Beijing also claims, for several minutes Monday morning. The Chinese warship’s presence was confirmed after a Russian frigate had entered the waters for more than an hour. It’s not immediately clear what was behind the latest Chinese-Russian military activity in the area. Japanese defense officials mentioned a possibility that the ships may have been there to avoid a typhoon.