Japan, China hold talks on gas deposits
(AP)
Updated: 2006-05-18 09:29
Japan and China opened talks Thursday in Tokyo over gas reserves in the East
China Sea.
Officials from the foreign ministries of the countries attended the talks.
Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Yoshinori Katori said two sides were
expected to clarify their standpoints in efforts to narrow the gaps between
them, Kyodo News agency reported.
Earlier this week, China warned not to expect any breakthrough at the talks.
Japan was represented by National Resources and Energy Agency chief Nobuyori
Kodaira and Kenichiro Sasae, head of the Foreign Ministry's Asia-Oceania Bureau.
The Chinese side was led by Hu Zhengyue, chief of the Foreign Ministry's
Department of Asian Affairs.
The issue has strained relations between Beijing and Tokyo. China claims it
has rights to the gas reserves under the sea bed in the East China Sea's Pinghu
field, but Tokyo says the two countries should share them.
Repeated meetings between the countrie have failed to resolve the dispute.
Japan said last month Chinese maritime authorities had posted a notice that
all unauthorized ships would be banned in the waters around the Pinghu field
from March 1 to September 30. But Beijing said the notice excludes the waters on
the Japanese side.
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