Japan says China conducted research near Pacific atoll

Japan has accused China of conducting unnotified maritime scientific research within its exclusive economic zone around its southernmost island in the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo said Tuesday. Prior consent is necessary for foreign vessels to carry out scientific research for non-economic purposes in another country's EEZ. However China has said Japan's claim is invalid since Okinotori, some 1,700 kilometres (1,050 miles) south of Tokyo, is just rocks and not an island.