Photo: AFP

Tokyo summoned the Chinese ambassador Tuesday for the first time under the new government to protest the presence of Chinese ships in waters around the disputed Senkaku (Diaoyu) islands in the East China Sea. According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Deputy Minister Akitaka Saiki met with Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua. At the meeting, Saiki “strongly protested” 4 Chinese ships spotted near Senkaku (Diaoyu) island on January 7, and asked Beijing to end such activities. The Chinese ambassador affirmed Chinese sovereignty over the islands, but said he will pass the Japanese government’s message to Beijing. This is the first time Tokyo has summoned the Chinese Ambassador since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office on December 26, 2012. Tokyo also summoned the Chinese Ambassador to protest a Chinese airplane that flew over the disputed area late last year.