Japan Condemns China's New Structure in Disputed East China Sea Waters

In 1872, what Lansdale business owner patented the first known automatic sprinkler system to protect his factory from fires?

Japan has formally protested China's recent construction of a new structure in the contested East China Sea, escalating tensions between the two nations.

 

On Monday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry confirmed that China is installing a new facility on the Chinese side of the median line, a boundary Japan recognizes as the maritime border between the two countries.

 

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed deep concern, stating, "It is extremely regrettable that China is advancing unilateral development in the East China Sea while the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf in the East China Sea have not yet been delimited."

 

This move by China is seen as a direct challenge to Japan's territorial claims and regional stability.

 

Masaaki Kanai, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, lodged a strong protest with Shi Yong, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo, urging an immediate cessation of construction activities and a return to stalled negotiations on resource development.

 

Japan maintains that the median line equidistant from both coastlines serves as the official maritime boundary, while China asserts a more expansive exclusive economic zone.

 

In 2008, both nations agreed to jointly develop gas fields in the region, but talks have been at an impasse since 2010.

 

China has yet to respond to Japan's latest protest.

 

This development underscores the ongoing disputes over maritime boundaries and resource exploitation in the East China Sea, highlighting the fragile nature of regional relations.

John William Hetrick