A China Coast Guard vessel equipped with the largest cannon ever seen on such a ship entered Japan's territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Friday, the Japanese coast guard said.

Four Chinese coast guard ships, including the vessel, were detected in waters off the Tokyo-controlled uninhabited islets that are also claimed by Beijing, the Japan Coast Guard said. The latest incident occurred just days after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first summit since 2019.

Two vessels entered Japan's territorial waters on Friday at around 2:35 a.m. At about 10 a.m., two more arrived with one bearing a 76 mm gun, it added.