New Chinese coast guard ships spotted near islands at center of dispute with Japan

Tokyo expressed concern Thursday over recent Chinese military and naval activity near disputed islands that Japan controls, including the flight of a Chinese fighter jet near Japanese airspace.

Japan's Defense Ministry scrambled fighter jets Wednesday to keep watch on a Chinese early warning plane flying over international waters between Japan's main Okinawa island and an outer island relatively close to the disputed area in the East China Sea.

Around the same time, Japan spotted four Chinese coast guard vessels near the disputed islands for the first time following Beijing's reorganization of the service to boost its ability to enforce its maritime claims.

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