China protests Japan's move to drill in E.China Sea
(Agencies/chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-07-15 14:02

China strongly protested on Friday against a Japanese infringement of China's sovereign rights and interests in the East China Sea after Japan granted rights to a firm to test drill for gas near disputed waters.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation's (CNOOC) oil rigs in China's Bohai Sea is seen in this photograph taken July 7, 2004. [newsphoto/file]

The Foreign Ministry summoned a Japanese diplomat "to lodge solemn representations to and express strong protest" against the movem, Xinhua reported.

Cui Tiankai, director of the Foreign Ministry's Asian Department, told Chihiro Atsumi, minister of the Japanese embassy in China, that such activity is a "severe provocation and violation" against China's sovereignty and interest, which is also against the rules in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Cui pointed out China did not and will not recognize the so-called median line unilaterally adovocated by Japan. The area east of the so-median line is the disputed area, and Japan has no right to take any unilateral action in the area, and any such action is absolutely unacceptable to the Chinese side.

If the Japanese side attempts to impose its unilateral action as a fact on the Chinese side, the Chinese side will stand firmly opposed to and will never accept it, said Cui.

He said the two sides should take a road of dialogue and consultation on equal footing to properly settle their disputes, which is the important consensus reached between leaders of the two countries.

Cui solemnly urged Japan to immediately correct its wrong action and stop any of actions that infringes up China's sovereign rights and interests.

Also on Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Japan also lodged a protest to the Japanese foreign ministry.

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