It's been quiet, too quiet in the Pacific for the last few days, but now, as Yoimuri reports (and confirmed by Kyodo), the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency (Coastguard) issued a statement that "Chinese surveillance vessels on Thursday entered Japan's territorial waters around a group of islands claimed by China, for the first time in three weeks." Three Chinese maritime vessels moved into the waters near Minamikojima, one of the five main islands of the Japan-controlled Senkaku group in the East China Sea, around 6:30 a.m., the coast guard said. It is the first time since Oct. 3 that Chinese surveillance vessels have entered Japan's territorial waters around the Senkakus, which are known as Diaoyu in China.
