China removes buoy near Japan-controlled Senkakus as relations improve

Despite move, few in Tokyo think Beijing will back down on territorial claim

20250211N Senkaku

The Japan Coast Guard says that a Chinese buoy near the Senkakus has disappeared. © Reuters

YUKIO TAJIMA

BEIJING -- China has removed a buoy it placed near the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands in July 2023, the two governments revealed Tuesday, a possible reflection of improving relations.

The Japan Coast Guard announced in a navigation notice on its website that the buoy northeast of Taiwan has disappeared. "Northeast of Taiwan" refers to the area around the Senkakus, a Japanese government official said. The buoy had been placed within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

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