(VOVWORLD) - Two Chinese vessels on Thursday entered Japan's territorial waters southwest of Kagoshima Prefecture, said the Japanese Coast Guard, adding that the same two ships passed Japanese waters off Kyushu Island in July.
After entering Japanese waters near the southern tip of Kagoshima around 6:15 am, the two vessels sailed approximately 130 kilometers before exiting the waters 5 and a half hours later, according to the Coast Guard.
 Chinese ships enter Japanese waters (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ships of all countries have a right to "innocent passage" through the territorial waters of another country as long as they do not undermine that country's security. The Coast Guard warned the vessels by radio that sailing in Japan's territorial waters other than for innocent passage is not permitted.