Tokyo [Japan], December 20 (ANI): Chinese patrol ships entered Japan's territorial waters on Monday near the disputed Senkaku Islands, local media reported.

Two Chinese ships were first spotted in the contiguous zone, before having entered what Japan claims to be their own territory near the islands, NHK broadcaster reported. The patrol ships attempted to approach a Japanese fishing boat, the report said.

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Both Asian economic powerhouses have extended territorial claims over the Senkaku Islands. Japan insists on its sovereignty over the islands.

It insists on its sovereignty over the islands, effective since 1895, while China points to the 1783 and 1785 Japanese maps designating the islands as Chinese territory

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This dispute escalated in 2012 when the Japanese government purchased three of the five islands from the private owner. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)