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China opposes Japan's sea gas decision
By Guo Nei (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-07-01 01:27
China expressed grave concern over Japan's unilateral decision to explore a
disputed area in the East China Sea Wednesday.
Zhang Qiyue,
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.
[file] | "China is deeply concerned about Japan's decision on this issue," Foreign
Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.
It is reported that Japan will start exploring an area under the East China
Sea for natural gas near where China has been developing the resource.
Shoichi Nakagawa, Japan's Minister for Economics, Trade and Industry, says
Tokyo wants to start researching the sub-seafloor early next month in its
exclusive economic zone, which is northwest of Okinawa, Japan's southern most
prefecture.
"We will send ships early next month to conduct research on the Japanese side
of the area divided by the intermediate line," Nakagawa said at a news
conference.
Another ministry official said Japan would spend 3 billion yen (US$27.7
million) on the project, due to be completed by October.
The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea allows coastal
countries to regulate and catch seabed resources in their economic zones. The
zones extend 370 kilometres from their shores.
But Beijing and Tokyo, both of which signed the convention in 1996, disagree
over the zones as they partly overlap.
China maintains that the border is where the continental shelf ends, as is
the international custom. But Japan contends that both zones meet halfway
between the shores.
The UN says it will decide on global offshore territorial claims by May 2009.
"China has always held that the two countries should solve their border
disputes in the East China Sea through negotiations," Zhang said.
China has suggested that the two countries should develop the area together
but Tokyo has refused, saying it first wants Beijing to provide information from
studies it has already completed.
"We hope Japan can proceed from the general situation of bilateral ties and
stability in the East China Sea area, taking a prudent approach and dismissing
any actions that could harm China's interests and complicate the situation,"
Zhang said.
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