Japan Protests China's Drilling Activities in the East China Sea

JAKARTA - The Japanese government has lodged a protest with China regarding the deployment of a mobile offshore drilling unit in the East China Sea that is allegedly used for the exploration of new gas fields.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Wednesday, June 24, said the government had confirmed that China had moored and installed the drilling unit on the west side of the center line between Japan and China in the East China Sea.

According to Kihara, earlier the Japanese Coast Guard on Monday (22/6) had issued a navigation warning for ships operating around the location.

He emphasized that the boundaries of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf of the two countries in the region have not been officially determined.

"China continues to carry out development activities unilaterally even though Japan has repeatedly protested. This is very regrettable," Kihara said at a regular press conference in Tokyo.

Kihara also urged China to immediately resume negotiations to implement the 2008 agreement on the development of shared resources in the East China Sea.

Meanwhile, China has built a number of drilling facilities on its side of the center line that separates the two countries' exclusive economic zones in the waters.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said a diplomatic protest had been submitted to China on Monday.