Japan wants answers over Chinese buoy found in remote contested waters
- Beijing asserts that Japan has no right to claim Okinotorishima, where the buoy was discovered, as an island under UN definitions
The buoy was discovered last week near Okinotorishima, a tiny remote atoll 1,730km south of Tokyo and the southernmost feature claimed by Japan. Though China and other have argued that the coral reef does not qualify as an island under UN definitions, Japan insists it can use the outpost to extend its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“It is regrettable that a buoy was placed without providing details of its purpose,” Tokyo’s top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Friday, vowing that Japanese authorities would closely monitor the situation.
Experts say the dispute over Okinotorishima underscores the broader challenges Asian nations face in defining and defending their maritime boundaries in an era of growing competition over strategic waterways and resources.