Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said in Beijing on
Wednesday that Japan's granting of rights to explore for gas and
oil in the East China Sea is a serious provocation.
Qin said China has already lodged a protest to Japan and retains
the right to take further action.
Earlier that day, the Japanese government initiated procedures
to award Japanese firms the right to conduct test drilling for
potential gas and oil fields to the east of a unilaterally defined
demarcation line.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry asked
authorities to review applications from companies that want to
explore the fields, the Kyodo News?Service reported
yesterday.
Qin said the move aggravates the rights of China and the norms
of international relations.
He said there are disputes between China and Japan on
demarcation of the continental shelf in the East China Sea, and
that China has always insisted that they resolve the issue through
diplomatic negotiation.
But, Qin said, the Japanese side has turned a deaf ear and is
attempting to impose a one-sided demarcation line that has not been
agreed upon by China.
"China has never ever recognized and will never recognize this,"
said Qin.
(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2005)
