Japan says it told China survey ship to leave Tokyo's economic waters

On September 27, a Chinese survey vessel entered Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near the island of Ishigaki, operating unapproved research equipment. The Japanese coast guard, in a series of messages on Friday, demanded the vessel halt its operations, asserting that unauthorized scientific research in Japan's maritime zone is unacceptable.

The Chinese ship, Kexue, eventually departed after receiving these warnings. The frequency of unauthorized surveys in Japan's EEZ has more than doubled compared to the previous year, according to the coast guard spokesman. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) requires consent from the nation holding exclusive rights to natural resources for research in an EEZ, which extends up to 200 nautical miles offshore.

Japan initiated formal maritime boundary negotiations with the Philippines in May, following which the number of unapproved surveys in Japan's EEZ surged. China claims most of the South China Sea, despite an international ruling that its claim lacks legal foundation. China and Japan have engaged in tense confrontations around the disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea for years, with both nations' coast guards frequently engaging in standoffs.