Japan has formally requested that China remove a buoy located in waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), according to a foreign ministry official on Wednesday. The buoy was discovered by Japan’s coastguard in July in the East China Sea, near islands claimed by both Japan (referred to as the Senkakus) and China (referred to as the Diaoyus).
Japan has lodged protests both in Tokyo and Beijing, citing violations of international laws regarding the construction of structures in Japan’s EEZ without its consent. This incident comes after a similar buoy placement by China in the same area of the East China Sea in 2018.
Tensions between Japan and China have escalated in recent times, exacerbated by Japan’s release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant on August 24. In response, China imposed a blanket ban on all seafood imports from Japan.
The fallout from this dispute has had economic consequences, with food exports from Japan to China dropping by 41.2 percent in August, amounting to 14 billion yen ($95 million), as reported by Japan’s finance ministry.
Japan has also expressed concerns for the safety of its citizens in China, reporting an incident where a brick was thrown at its embassy in Beijing. Japanese authorities have advised tens of thousands of their citizens in China to maintain a low profile and have heightened security measures around schools and diplomatic missions.
According to Japan’s Kyodo News agency, the Japanese embassy in Beijing received over 400,000 nuisance calls since the water release, although the foreign ministry official did not confirm this number, stating only that diplomatic outlets had received numerous nuisance calls.
