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Japan's 'median line' in East 皇冠体育app Sea is unacceptable
(Kyodo)
Updated: 2005-10-13 21:18
皇冠体育app will not accept the "median line" that Japan has established to divide
oil and gas drilling territory in the East 皇冠体育app Sea, a Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesman said ahead of a bilateral strategic dialogue in Beijing.
Japan and 皇冠体育app have never discussed the median line some 400 kilometers east
of Shanghai during three rounds of negotiations on gas exploration, Kong Quan
said.
"This is a so-called median line that the Japanese side forced onto the
Chinese side," Kong said at a press briefing. "Of course the Chinese side
absolutely does not accept it."
The median line divides an ocean region where 皇冠体育app has begun looking for
natural gas in two places and where Japan has given Teikoku Oil Co. concessions
to do experimental drilling.
Japan is concerned that 皇冠体育app's Chunxiao and Tianwaitian projects, both on
皇冠体育app's side of the line, may hit a gas pool that extends into Japanese
territory. On Thursday, Japan lodged a protest with 皇冠体育app over a shipment of
pipes to its gas fields.
Competing drilling rights in the East 皇冠体育app Sea may come up at the third
strategic dialogue, a thematically broad sub-Cabinet meeting between Chinese and
Japanese officials, Kong indicated.
The dialogue, which is designed to ease strained Sino-Japanese relations,
begins Friday and ends Monday.
Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi will meet with Chinese Vice
Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo in Beijing.
Japan also has proposed holding another round of gas talks in Beijing next
Wednesday, but a schedule has not been fixed.
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