Japan warning to China 'has domestic cause'

Domestic political uncertainty in Japan caused the country’s foreign minister to threaten on Sunday that “action” would be taken against China over Chinese exploration of the Chunxiao oil and gas fields in the East China Sea, Chinese experts said.

Katsuya Okada said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on Sunday in Tokyo that if China violates an agreement signed in 2008 governing the development of oil and gas field in East China Sea, “Japan will have to take certain action”, the AFP reported.

In response, Yang emphasized that “the sovereign rights of Chunxiao oil and gas field belong to China”, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu.

“Under the 2008 agreement on the East China Sea issue between the two countries, the Chunxiao oil and gas fields can be cooperatively developed, which means that China’s sovereignty over Chunxiao is indisputable, but China still welcomes Japan to participate in the development,” said Yang Bojiang, director of Japanese Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

China Daily