Chinese navy sails between Japanese islands near Taiwan

Tokyo says it's first time a Chinese aircraft carrier has entered its contiguous Zone

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A Chinese aircraft carrier sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan for the first time, Japan's military said on Sept 18, in the latest move by Beijing to rile the close US ally.

The Japanese government said it was the first time that a Chinese aircraft carrier, which was accompanied by two destroyers, entered its contiguous zone, an area within 24 nautical miles of the country's coast.

"This incident is totally unacceptable from the perspective of the security environment of Japan and the region, and we have expressed our serious concerns to the Chinese side through diplomatic channels," Japanese government spokesman Hiroshi Moriya said.

China said the passage, which came less than a month after the first confirmed incursion into Japanese airspace by a Chinese surveillance aircraft, complied with international law.