Japan spots Chinese ships near disputed isles for record 158 days

TOKYO – Japan has spotted Chinese ships sailing near disputed islands in the East China Sea for a record 158 consecutive days, Tokyo's top government spokesman said on May 27. The territorial dispute over the Tokyo-controlled islets, known as the Senkaku by Japan and the Diaoyu by China, is a long-running sore point between the countries. Relations deteriorated in 2012 when Tokyo "nationalised" some of these remote islands, and Japanese officials regularly protest against the presence of Chinese coast guard and other vessels in the surrounding waters. On May 27, Japan's coast guard observed four China Maritime Police Bureau vessels…