TOKYO, Japan — A Chinese aircraft carrier and two other naval ships sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan, Japan's military said on Wednesday.
"This is the first time that an aircraft carrier belonging to the Chinese Navy has been confirmed to have sailed through the waters between Yonaguni and Iriomote," the defense ministry's joint staff said in a statement.
The Liaoning carrier and "two Luyang III-class missile destroyers" were seen sailing southwards between the islands in southern Okinawa region from Tuesday to Wednesday, it said.
Public broadcaster NHK and other media, citing unnamed defense sources, reported that it was the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier had entered Japan's contiguous waters.
Contiguous waters are a 12-nautical-mile band that extends beyond territorial waters. The ministry was unable to immediately confirm these news reports.
Taipei's government also said a Chinese naval formation led by the Liaoning sailed through waters northeast of self-ruled Taiwan on Wednesday and continued towards Japan's Yonaguni Island.
China's growing economic and military clout in the Asia-Pacific region and its assertiveness in territorial disputes -- most recently with the Philippines -- has rattled the United States and its allies.
Tense incidents have involved Japanese and Chinese vessels in disputed areas, in particular the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, known by Beijing as the Diaoyus.
Tokyo has reported the presence of Chinese coastguard vessels, a naval ship and a nuclear-powered submarine around the remote chain of islets.
Japan this month voiced "strong concern and protest" when a Chinese naval ship entered its territorial waters.
In August, the Japanese government slammed the first confirmed incursion by a Chinese military aircraft into its airspace as a "serious violation" of its sovereignty.
Japan is ramping up its defense spending with US encouragement, moving to acquire counter-strike capabilities and easing rules on arms exports.
Tokyo is also providing funding and equipment such as patrol vessels to other countries in the region.
In July, Japan agreed on a deal with the Philippines allowing troop deployments on each other's soil.