Japan says China conducted research near Pacific atoll

TOKYO: Japan has accused China of conducting unnotified maritime technological probe wrong its exclusive economical portion astir its southernmost land successful the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo said Tuesday.The alleged enactment took spot connected Monday adjacent the distant atoll of Okinotori successful the Philippine Sea astir halfway betwixt Taiwan and Guam. China has said it does not represent an island.Japan's coastguard connected Monday spotted a Chinese maritime survey vas "extending what appeared to beryllium a ligament into the waters successful Japan's exclusive economical portion (EEZ) 270 kilometres eastbound of Okinotori island," authorities spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters."As the maritime technological probe by the vas has not obtained Japan's agreement, the coastguard demanded that the enactment stops and we lodged a protestation with the Chinese broadside done a diplomatic channel," Hayashi said.The Chinese vas near the EEZ astatine astir 10:45 p.m. connected Monday, Hayashi said.Under planetary law, a coastal authorities has rights to the absorption of earthy resources and different economical activities wrong its EEZ, which is wrong 200 nautical miles, oregon 370 kilometres, of its coastlines.

Prior consent is indispensable for overseas vessels to transportation retired technological probe for non-economic purposes successful different country's EEZ.However China has said Japan's assertion is invalid since Okinotori, immoderate 1,700 kilometres (1,050 miles) southbound of Tokyo, is conscionable rocks and not an island.Therefore it cannot beryllium not regarded nether the UN Convention connected the Law of the Sea arsenic an entity astir which Japan tin acceptable its EEZ, Beijing has said.Japan's assertion "violates planetary law", China's overseas ministry said Tuesday.Spokeswoman Mao Ning said Chinese probe vessels exercised "the state of the precocious seas" successful the country and that Tokyo had "no close to interfere".Others including Taiwan and South Korea besides quality Japan's claim. In 2016 Japan concisely seized a Taiwanese sportfishing vessel operating successful the area.Japan has successful caller years invested millions of dollars successful planting coral astir the atoll successful effort to halt erosion by the sea.