At a July 7 briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China firmly
opposes Japanese interference with the lawful activities of a Chinese marine
research and vessel has lodged a stern protest with Tokyo. Mao reiterated that
the Diaoyu Islands and affiliated islets are China’s inherent territory and that
Chinese research operations in surrounding waters fall within China’s sovereign
rights. Japan’s coast guard said on July 3 that around 11:00 a.m. a Chinese
survey ship entered the EEZ near Kumejima, Okinawa, deployed a cable‑like object
and was radioed by a patrol vessel to stop.