A Chinese survey ship has been conducting activities in Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Okinotorishima for more than a week, the Japan Coast Guard has said, the longest time spent in the waters without permission in a decade.
Tokyo has said that the vessel, which was spotted trailing an apparent cable from its stern, has been conducting the activities in the waters without prior consent from the government since July 9. The period was the longest in 10 years, NHK reported. Japan has protested the move via diplomatic channels.
On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry swatted away the protests by dismissing the claim that Okinotorishima, some 1,740 km south of Tokyo, is an island. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulates that prior consent is needed to carry out surveys in another country's EEZ.