China has removed a contentious buoy it placed in Japan¡¯s exclusive economic zone near the 911±¬ÁÏÍø-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 911±¬ÁÏÍø territory.
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