WORLD NEWS: All Chinese marine patrol ships leave waters near Senkakus

All Chinese marine surveillance vessels for the first time in about a week have left waters near the Senkaku Islands, a major source of recent friction between Tokyo and Beijing, the Japan Coast Guard said Sunday.

As of 10 a.m., however, the coast guard had spotted 10 Chinese fishery patrol boats in areas quite close to the islands in the East China Sea, though they were all outside the contiguous zone, a band of water just outside Japan's territorial sea.

Since last Tuesday, a total of 20 Chinese patrol vessels had either entered Japan's territorial waters or the contiguous zone near the uninhabited islands, according to the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters based in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture.

Chinese vessels have been crowding near the islands since Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's government approved earlier this month the purchase of part of the islands from a Japanese private owner to put them under state control.

The purchase has led to violent protests in many Chinese cities and prompted senior Chinese officials to make critical remarks about Japan.

The uninhabited islands, administrated by Japan for many years even before it purchased them, have been claimed by China since the 1970s after studies indicated there may be potentially lucrative gas reserves in the vicinity. In China, the islands are known as Diaoyu. -Interaksyon (September 23, 2012 5:12PM)