China, S. Korea scrap Japan talks after Shrine visit
(bloomberg.com)
Updated: 2005-10-17 19:49

Gas Dispute

The dispute with China, which with Hong Kong is Japan's biggest trading partner, comes as Asia's two biggest economies are arguing over gas drilling rights for as much as 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves in the East China Sea.

Japan and China have yet to agree on a date for talks on resolving the dispute, Japan's Vice Trade Minister Hideji Sugiyama said. The two can't agree on the sea border in the area of the gas fields and Japan wants China to cease drilling that it says will siphon gas from Japanese territory.

``No date and time have been set yet,'' Sugiyama told reporters today in Tokyo. ``There's been no further progress.''

The Osaka High Court on Sept. 30 ruled that Koizumi's trips to Yasukuni were official acts that violated the separation of religion and state under article 20 of the constitution. The decision contradicted a separate ruling from the Tokyo High Court on Sept. 29.

Landslide Election

Koizumi was returned to office with a landslide election victory on Sept. 11, suggesting his visits to the shrine are not an issue for Japan's public.

``Most of the people in Japan don't really care,'' said Steven Reed, a professor of political science at Japan's Chuo University. ``Koizumi's in a great position; he can do what he wants, he has a huge majority and doesn't have to worry about getting re-elected. Koizumi's position is this is not an international issue and shouldn't be.''