The patrol of Chinese ships in its territorial waters is irreproachable, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman Monday night.

The comment by spokesman Liu Jianchao came in response to a question regarding the reported marine surveillance by Chinese ships in the seas near the Diaoyu Islands on Monday.

"The Diaoyu Islands and adjacent islets are Chinese territories since ancient times. The usual cruising of the Chinese ships within Chinese seas is irreproachable," Liu said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2008)