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

On Thursday, Japan granted the test-drilling of a potentially lucrative gas field in the East China Sea contested with Beijing, after talks on the dispute broke down amid deteriorating ties.

"In response to an application from Teikoku Oil, we have authorized the company to be granted test drilling rights," Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa told a news conference.

Teikoku Oil said it was notified it could explore three areas covering a total of 400 square kilometers in the disputed sea area.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao expressed "serious concern" over the move immediately after Japan announced its decision.

"If Japan deliberately authorizes private enterprises the right to drill, this will constitute a serious infringement of China's sovereignty and will complicate the East China Sea situation," Liu told a press briefing Thursday afternoon.

"We strongly advise Japan not to take any actions that are unfavorable for the stability of the East China Sea and would damage China-Japan's overall relations," he added.

Teikoku Oil said the actual drilling could take more time, as it looks into safety concerns about working on the sea at the center of the international dispute.

Japan and China have held a series of high-level meetings to address their growing disputes but they have reached little agreement on the gas fields other than to keep talking.

The two nations are among the world's biggest energy importers as they try to keep their huge economies running. A Japanese survey in 1999 estimated the disputed fields had a massive 200 billion cubic meters of gas.

Japan has previously protested that China may be drilling beyond what Tokyo considers the median line. China has insisted its exploration is not in the disputed portion of the waters and has instead called for joint exploration of the gas fields.

In recent months, relations between China and Japan have been at their worst since diplomatic ties were established in 1972 after a series of flare-ups in disputes.

Among them are a controversial textbook that China sees as whitewashing Japan's wartime past, Tokyo's bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to a shrine that honors war criminals alongside other war dead.

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