Mainland Chinese research ship spotted near Taiwan’s largest naval base

A mainland Chinese research ship has sailed close to a key Taiwanese naval base, marking its second appearance near the island in recent months. The Tong Ji, a 2,000-tonne scientific research vessel operated by Tongji University in Shanghai, was spotted 28 nautical miles (52km) southwest of Liuchiu, an island also known as Lamay, on Friday morning, according to the Taiwanese authorities. The island sits off the southwest coast of Taiwan, close to the city of Kaohsiung and Zuoying, the…