Japan claims China has removed final buoy in Tokyo’s economic waters

China has removed its last buoy from Japanese economic waters, according to a Japan Coast Guard spokesperson, marking a potential effort by Beijing to ease tensions with Tokyo. The removal of the buoy, initially spotted in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) south of Yonaguni Island in December, comes after Japan demanded China remove it immediately.

The Japan Coast Guard confirmed the absence of the buoy in a statement released late Wednesday, indicating that all Chinese buoys in Japanese economic waters have now been taken out. Speculation abounds regarding China’s intentions, with Japanese government spokesman HAYASHI Yoshimasa declining to comment on the matter, leaving room for interpretation of Beijing’s motives.

China previously installed a buoy near the Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyus in China, located within Tokyo’s EEZ, in July 2023. However, in February, China relocated the buoy out of Japan’s EEZ, showcasing a willingness to cooperate. Nevertheless, recent actions by China, such as conducting unnotified maritime scientific research near Japan’s Okinotori atoll in the Pacific Ocean, have further strained relations between the two countries.

Tensions between China and Japan have been escalating due to historical and territorial disputes, compounded by Beijing’s ban on seafood imports from Japan following the latter’s release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant in 2023. Additionally, increased Chinese military activities, including brief incursions into Japanese territory, have fueled negative public sentiment towards China in Japan.

Recent events, such as the 2024 fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in China and the detention of Japanese nationals by Chinese authorities, have further exacerbated the strained relations between the two countries. These incidents, along with China’s maritime activities near Japanese waters, have intensified the ongoing tension, prompting concerns and careful monitoring of future developments between China and Japan.