China rejects Japan's protest over China-Russia joint drill in intl waters

China on Tuesday rejected Japan's protest over Chinese warships operating in waters near Okinotori during a joint Chinese-Russian exercise, saying its activities on the high seas are consistent with international law and practice.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian made the remarks in response to reports that Japan had lodged a protest alleging Chinese vessels entered "Japan's exclusive economic zone" during the drill, calling Tokyo's concerns groundless.

Lin emphasized that Okinotori is not an island, and therefore under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it cannot generate an exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.

"Japan's claim of an exclusive economic zone based on Okinotori violates international law," Lin said.

Lin accused Japan of smearing other countries' legitimate and lawful operations, and of hyping the idea of an external threat, as attempts to find excuses for its own accelerated remilitarization, which poses a threat to the post-war international order.

The international community must remain highly vigilant and jointly resist such dangerous moves, he said.