Overview

• The Japan Coast Guard reported spotting a Chinese survey vessel inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone early Sunday about 379–380 kilometers west of Amami Oshima.
• Officials said the ship, identified as Xiang Yang Hong 22, was extending a wire-like object into the sea.
• A patrol vessel radioed the crew to halt the activity, citing Japan’s requirement for consent for marine scientific research in its EEZ.
• Roughly three hours later the vessel moved west and crossed the geographical equidistance line at around 9:45 a.m., leaving the zone.
• Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan lodged a formal protest with China, referencing ongoing tensions over the Senkaku/Diaoyu area in the East China Sea.