East China Sea gas field: Ministry of Foreign Affairs protests after flames are confirmed in Chinese-built structures

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

東シナ海ガス田 中国建設の構造物から炎確認 外務省が抗議

2023年12月18日 21時43分

東シナ海のガス田開発をめぐり、外務省は、中国が建設した構造物から新たに炎が上がっていることが確認されたとして、中国側に対し一方的な開発をやめるよう抗議しました。

東シナ海のガス田開発をめぐっては、2008年に日中両政府が共同開発することで合意しましたが、関係する条約の締結交渉は中断したままで、中国側が一方的な開発を進めています。

外務省によりますと、今月15日、中国が日中中間線の中国側の海域に設置した構造物1基で、天然ガスを生産する過程で発生したとみられる炎が上がっているのを海上自衛隊が確認したということです。

中国が設置した構造物はこれまでに18基あり、今回を含めると合わせて14基で炎が確認されたことになるということです。

これを受けて、外務省の鯰アジア大洋州局長は、中国大使館の楊宇 次席公使に対し、一方的な開発の継続は極めて遺憾だとして、開発をやめるよう電話で抗議しました。

そして、条約の締結交渉の再開に早期に応じるよう改めて強く求めました。

Translation

Regarding the development of gas fields in the East China Sea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had protested to the Chinese side asking stopping unilateral development of this gas field, saying that new flames had been confirmed to be coming from structures built there by China.

Regarding the development of gas fields in the East China Sea, the governments of Japan and China agreed in 2008 to jointly develop the gas fields, but negotiations to conclude related treaties had remained suspended, and China was proceeding with development unilaterally.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the 15th of this month, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force confirmed that, on the Chinese side of the Japan-China halfway line, at a structure installed by China, a flame that seemed to have originated in the process of producing natural gas was observed.

China had installed 18 structures so far, and including this one, flames were confirmed in 14 of them.

In response to this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director-General for Asia and Oceania, Namazu (鯰), protested by phone to Yang Yu (楊宇), Deputy Chief Minister of the Chinese Embassy to state that the continuation of unilateral development was extremely regrettable and asked to stop the development.

He reiterated his strong request for the prompt resumption of negotiations to conclude a treaty.

So, Japan protests to China regarding the continuation of unilateral development at the gas fields, and asks China to stop the development as the present dividing line has not been mutually agreed.  It is interesting to know that arguments over the boundary of the gas fields which have died down for quite a while now appears again.