Japan Protests China's Drilling Activity in East China Sea

The Japanese government has protested to China over the deployment of a mobile offshore drilling unit in the East China Sea, amid suspicions it is being used to explore new gas fields.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed on Wednesday that China had moored and installed the drilling rig on the western side of the median line between the two nations in the East China Sea. The Japan Coast Guard had previously issued a navigational warning to vessels operating near the location on Monday.

Kihara stressed that the boundaries of the exclusive economic zones and continental shelves for both countries in the area have yet to be officially established. “China continues to carry out unilateral development activities despite Japan’s repeated protests. This is extremely regrettable,” he said during a regular press briefing in Tokyo.

He further urged China to promptly resume negotiations aimed at implementing a 2008 agreement on joint resource development in the East China Sea. China has already constructed several drilling facilities on its side of the median line separating the two countries’ claimed economic zones. Japan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that a diplomatic protest was lodged with China on Monday.