China says ships' mission justified & legal

China's Defense Ministry has defended a regular training and sailing mission by Chinese ships in the East China Sea. The statement was in response to Japanese reports that three Chinese maritime surveillance ships entered the waters around the Diaoyu Islands.

The Ministry added that the mission of China's ships was justified and legal. China hopes related parties will treat the issue objectively and rationally. The three surveillance ships belong to the South China Sea Fleet.

They are the 168 Guangzhou guided missile destroyer, the 171 Haikou guided missile destroyer and the missile frigate 571 Yuncheng. Japan's Coast Guard spotted three Chinese maritime ships in waters 471 kilometers off the island of Okinawa. Japan said it would conduct a thorough investigation.