China passes bill allowing coast guard to use weapons in its waters

China on Friday passed a bill that allows its coast guard to use weapons when foreign ships involved in illegal activities in waters claimed by the country fail to obey orders, state-run media reported, in a move that would complicate relations with its neighbor Japan.As Beijing claims that the Senkaku Islands, administered by Tokyo, in the East China Sea are part of its territory, the legislation could target Japanese vessels navigating around the uninhabited islets called Diaoyu in China.Chinese ships have been frequently spotted in the so-called contiguous zone outside Japanese waters, w…READ FULL ARTICLE