Japan Protests China Over New Unilateral Development In E. China Sea

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) TOKYO, Aug 25 (KUNA) -- Japan lodged a strong protest with China on Monday after confirming that Beijing has begun installing a new structure on the Chinese side of the median line separating the two countries in the East China Sea, the Foreign Ministry said.
"We have recently confirmed that China has initiated an installation of a new structure on the west side of the geographical equidistance line between Japan and China in the East China Sea. 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," the ministry said in a statement.
Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, issued a strong protest to Shi Yong, Deputy Chief of Chinese Embassy in Tokyo, strongly urging China for an early resumption of the negotiations on the implementation of the bilateral "June 2008 Agreement," according to the ministry.
The two countries have been at odds over the extent of their respective exclusive economic zones in the East China Sea. In 2008, the two countries agreed to cooperate on the development of natural resources there, but negotiations have stalled since 2010.
China has built 20 structures close to a Japan-proposed boundary so far. Although all the facilities are located on the Chinese side of the Japanese-claimed median line, the government is concerned that the structures would be linked to the Japanese side of the median line. (end)
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