A Chinese survey vessel was seen on Thursday lowering a pipe into the sea to carry out suspected oceanographic research within Japan’s exclusive economic zone near Amami-Oshima Island in southern Japan, according to the coast guard.
It marked the third consecutive day, and the fourth instance in a week, that the Japan Coast Guard observed the same ship, the Xiang Yang Hong 22, and instructed it over the radio to stop.
The research vessel was also spotted in the same general region near Kagoshima Prefecture on Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, conducting comparable operations.
Tokyo has consistently raised objections to Beijing, urging it to stop carrying out oceanographic studies inside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone without prior approval.
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