2 Chinese ships leave Japan's territorial waters+

NAHA, Japan, Dec. 8 Kyodo - Two Chinese survey ships entered Japanese territorial waters in the East China Sea near the Japanese-administered Senkaku islets claimed also by Taiwan and
China on Monday morning before leaving them around 5:30 p.m., the Japan Coast Guard said.

In Tokyo, Prime Minister Taro Aso told reporters, ''It is quite regrettable as
it was clearly an intrusion into territorial waters.''
The Coast Guard said one of its patrol boats confirmed at around 8:10 a.m. that
the Chinese ships -- the 1,100-ton Haijian No. 46 and the 1,900-ton Haijian No.
51 -- were inside the territorial waters about 6 kilometers southeast of
Uotsuri Island, one of the islets.
The Chinese ships were in waters about 17 km northeast of Uotsuri Island at
around 9:40 a.m. and remained there for about one hour before moving into
nearby waters, the Coast Guard added.
The Defense Ministry received information about the intrusion from the Coast
Guard, but the Self-Defense Forces were not taking any specific steps in
reaction to the case, Vice Defense Minister Kohei Masuda told a news
conference.
It is the first time since 2004 that Chinese ships have entered Japanese
territorial waters around the disputed isles.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said at a news conference that Japan has
lodged a protest with China against the two survey ships' ''very regrettable''
intrusions.