Taiwanese boats off disputed East China Sea islands
Taiwanese boats entered waters near the islands early on Tuesday, Japan said
Dozens of Taiwanese vessels, including coastguard ships, have entered waters around disputed East China Sea islands, Japanese officials say.
The uninhabited islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are controlled by Japan, but also claimed by China and Taiwan.
Tension in the region has been high since Japan's purchase of the islands from their private Japanese owner.
A top Japanese envoy is in Beijing for talks aimed at easing the strains.
Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Chikao Kawai is set to meet Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun, amid a row that has seen anti-Japanese protests in several Chinese cities.
Chinese surveillance and fishing boats have also been sailing in and out of waters around the islands in recent days, following the Japanese government's announcement that it had bought the islands.
The row over ownership of the islands has been rumbling for years and has flared sporadically.
'Fishing rights'
The Taiwanese ships entered the area early on Tuesday morning, accompanied by 10 Taiwanese surveillance ships, Japan's Kyodo news agency quoted the Japanese coastguard as saying.
AFP news agency, citing an unnamed Japanese coastguard spokesperson, said that six Taiwanese coastguard vessels were among the boats.
The Taiwanese fishing boats set out for the islands on Monday from the eastern port of Suao, in a move activists and fishermen said was to protect fishing rights and access to traditional fishing grounds.
"Fishing rights are more important than sovereignty, but fishing rights also means sovereignty (in this case),'' activist Chen Chunsheng, who is organising the flotilla, told reporters on Monday.
''So for this day on which we negotiate fishing rights, we are willing to be the backing of the government.''
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