INSIGHT: Japan on alert as China Coast Guard escorts survey ship in EEZ near Taiwan

Chinese coast guard vessels escorted a state-owned oceanographic survey ship inside Japan's exclusive economic zone east of Taiwan earlier in June, underscoring Beijing's hard-line posture as it seeks to secure maritime interests and adding a new flashpoint to already chilled Japan-China ties.The operation was conducted almost entirely within Japan's EEZ shortly after an armed vessel had intruded into Japanese waters, suggesting "they intend to intimidate Japan," an official in Tokyo fumed.The China Coast Guard vessels Haijing 2304 and 2502 sailed alongside the Xiang Yang Hong 22 survey s…READ FULL ARTICLE