TOKYO: Tokyo summoned the Chinese ambassador on Tuesday for the first time under the new nationalist government to “strongly protest” against the presence of official ships in waters around disputed islands.

The foreign ministry said it told China to stop sending the vessels to the area around a chain controlled by Japan under the name Senkakus, but claimed by China as the Diaoyus. Deputy minister for foreign affairs Akitaka Saiki met with Chinese ambassador Cheng Yonghua from around 11am to protest against Beijing's dispatching of four ships Monday, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry on Monday lodged a protest with the Chinese embassy by telephone.

It summoned Cheng Tuesday for the first time since conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to power on Dec 26 with promises of assertive diplomacy to confront a confident China.—AFP