Also on June 15, 2016, the Japanese government separately said that a separate Chinese navy observation ship entered its territorial waters south of its southern Kyushu island. China said it was acting within the law and following the principle of freedom of navigation. Meanwhile, Captain Gregory C. Huffman, commander of the Stennis, told reporters aboard the carrier after it recovered its F-18 jet fighters taking part in the exercise that "There is a Chinese vessel about seven to 10 miles away". The Chinese ship had followed the U.S. vessel from the South China Sea, he added.