China has removed a contentious buoy it placed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, Tokyo and Beijing said, in a move that could help clear the way for an anticipated leaders’ summit this year.
Japan’s top government spokesman confirmed Wednesday that the buoy near the Senkakus, which are also claimed by China, had been removed a day earlier.
“The Japan Coast Guard has confirmed that the buoy, which was installed in July 2023 within Japan's EEZ in the East China Sea, is no longer in those waters,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said, adding that a buoy had been spotted at a new location outside Japan’s EEZ, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from Japanese territory.
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