China says vessel reported to have entered Japan waters acted legally

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese naval vessel reported to have entered Japanese waters on Wednesday was acting according to international law and the principle of freedom of navigation, the Chinese Defence Ministry said. The ministry made the remarks in a statement on its website after a Japanese government spokesman said a Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel briefly entered Japan's territorial waters. (Reporting by Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Nick Macfie)