Japan-China Tensions Escalate Over Okinotori EEZ Status

Japan and China are in a deepening dispute over the legal status of Okinotori, a remote feature Japan uses to claim a 150,000-square-mile exclusive economic zone. Beijing's recent live-fire drills within this zone challenge Tokyo's sovereignty claims, signaling a shift toward more assertive Chinese naval presence in the Philippine Sea. The core uncertainty remains whether China will continue to treat the area as international waters to undermine Japan's maritime jurisdiction.