China says its vessels passing through Tokara Strait have right of transit

BEIJING (Reuters) – China said its vessels passing through the Tokara Strait have the right of transit, and it is completely legitimate, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday at a regular press briefing.

The comments were in response to Japan lodging a protest after it said one of China’s naval survey vessels entered Japanese waters on Saturday.

“According to the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Tokara Strait is used for international navigation, and it is completely legitimate and lawful for Chinese vessels to exercise the right of transit passage through the strait,” spokesperson Mao Ning said when queried about the incident.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)