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The Mainichi
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Japan protests South Korean military drills near disputed islets
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's government said Thursday it lodged a strong protest with South Korea over military drills conducted in waters near remote islets in the Sea of Japan that are controlled by Seoul but claimed by Tokyo. Masaaki Kanai, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, told the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo that the exercises were "totally unacceptable and extremely regrettable," the government said. The islets, called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, are "clearly an integral part of Japanese territory in light of historical facts and international law," the Foreign Ministry said. Earlier in the day, the South Korean navy said it had carried out the drills, the first since President Lee Jae Myung took office last month, succeeding Yoon Suk Yeol. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that troops did not land on the islets and that the biannual regular training, similar in scale to previous years, was closed to the public, as was the case under the Yoon administration.
Kyodo News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Japan protests South Korean military drills near disputed islets
TOKYO - Japan's government said Thursday it lodged a strong protest with South Korea over military drills conducted in waters near remote islets in the Sea of Japan that are controlled by Seoul but claimed by Tokyo. Masaaki Kanai, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, told the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo that the exercises were "totally unacceptable and extremely regrettable," the government said. The islets, called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, are "clearly an integral part of Japanese territory in light of historical facts and international law," the Foreign Ministry said. Earlier in the day, the South Korean navy said it had carried out the drills, the first since President Lee Jae Myung took office last month, succeeding Yoon Suk Yeol. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that troops did not land on the islets and that the biannual regular training, similar in scale to previous years, was closed to the public, as was the case under the Yoon administration.
24-06-2025
- Business
China Moving to Build New Structure in East China Sea
News from Japan Jun 24, 2025 22:30 (JST) Tokyo, June 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it has confirmed moves by China to install a new structure on the western side of the Japan-China median line in the East China Sea. The structure is believed to be a facility related to resource development. Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, has protested to Chinese Embassy official Shi Yong, saying that unilateral development efforts before the border of the two neighbors' exclusive economic zones is demarcated are extremely regrettable. China has been accelerating resource development in the East China Sea, and 20 structures have been confirmed so far. In June 2008, Japan and China agreed to jointly develop resources in the sea, but talks on the matter have since been suspended. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
China Builds New Structure in Disputed Waters Claimed by US Ally
Japan says it has lodged a protest over a new Chinese structure near the median line between the two countries in the energy-rich East China Sea. The dispute echoes a similar one with South Korea, which has recently stepped up its objections to Chinese activities in the Yellow Sea. Beijing's neighbors fear it plans to achieve de facto control over these areas. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email with a request for comment. Tokyo views unilateral construction as a violation of the spirit of a still-unimplemented 2008 agreement to jointly develop gas fields until the two sides can agree on a formal demarcation of each's exclusive economic zone-within which a state is entitled to sole access to resources under maritime law. The issue comes as China increases patrols by its heavily armed coast guard near the Japan-administered, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands, drawing stern rebukes from the U.S. ally. Japan's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it had "immediately issued a strong protest" to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo over the latest structure. "It is extremely regrettable that China is advancing unilateral development in the East China Sea, while the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf have not yet been delimited," the ministry said in a statement. In the protest, Kanai Masaaki, director-general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, urged Beijing to resume talks on implementing the 2008 accord, the statement said. Tokyo says this is the 19th structure of its kind. The continued additions, which have included hydrocarbon platforms and oil rigs-both permanent and mobile-indicate China is ramping up fossil fuel production in these waters. While China sees the 2008 agreement as non-binding, it has so far limited construction to its side of the median line. Japan believes these operations are likely draining gas and oil basins that straddle the line and that the resources should be shared. The controversy mirrors a similar dispute in the Yellow Sea, where China has a separate agreement with South Korea. That accord covers a provisional measures zone-an area where the countries' EEZ claims overlap and where both sides agreed to limit activity to fishing and navigation. Seoul says a jack-up rig China installed in these waters in 2022-without notification-could qualify as a permanent structure and signal the start of Chinese eastward expansion. China insists the platform supports aquaculture operations. The issue featured in talks when officials from both sides met for talks in April. South Korean officials have since warned of "proportional" countermeasures if Beijing fails to be more transparent about the rig and its purpose. Collin Koh, senior fellow at Singapore's Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, told Newsweek: "Erecting structures along the median line in contested maritime spaces help give an appearance of effective control and administration, thus facilitating one to push a claim." China has not yet publicly responded to Japan's latest complaint. But based on past behavior, it is likely to move forward with the new installation. Related Articles US Ally Confronts Armed Chinese Ships in Disputed WatersChina Factory Protests Show When US Tariffs Began to BiteTrump Trade Deals Offer Lifeline to Farmers and Ranchers Like Me | OpinionUS Reveals Nuclear Submarine in China's Backyard 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
13-05-2025
- Politics
China Seen Building New Structure in East China Sea
News from Japan Politics May 13, 2025 22:49 (JST) Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it has confirmed moves by China to build a new structure on the Chinese side of the two countries' median line in the East China Sea. The structure is believed to be linked to resource development in the area. Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, sent a written protest to Chinese Embassy official Shi Yong, the same day, saying that unilateral development efforts before the border of the two neighbors' exclusive economic zones is demarcated are extremely regrettable. Japan and China agreed in 2008 to jointly develop resources in the East China Sea, but talks to implement the deal have been halted. Beijing has continued development efforts since then, and 18 structures have been confirmed so far. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
