Japan's provocation in East China Sea very dangerous

Japanese enterprises' act of trial extraction of oil and gas resources in China's exclusive economic zone approved for the first time by the Japanese government on July 14 quickly aroused strong repercussions among various social circles. What's more, the Japanese government, in defiance of China's deep concern, gave Japanese names to three Chinese oil-gas fields in the East China Sea. Recently there have been unceasing frictions between China and Japan on such issues as understanding of history and history textbook. Discussions on the trial exploitation of oil-gas fields in gravely disputed East China Sea area in such a sensitive period will not only make the East China Sea the most dangerous area for possible eruption of conflicts between the two countries, but will also worsen China-Japan relations. Why is Japan so audacious to openly make serious provocation and infringement on China's sovereign rights and interests? What on earth does Japan want to do in the East China Sea?

China quickly lodges protests

At the emergency press conference held on the afternoon of July 14, Japanese Economic, Trade and Industrial Minister Shoichi Nakagawa formally announced approval of the trial extraction of oil and natural gas by the Teikoku oil Company in the China exclusive economic zone of the East China Sea area. This is the Japanese government's first approval of Japanese enterprise's exploitation of oil and natural gas in China's exclusive economic zone to grab Chinese resources. The oil-gas field to be tapped on a trial basis belongs to the same oil-gas field with China's "Chun Xiao", "Duan Qiao" and "Leng Quan" fields, covering an area of about 400 square kilometers. The Japanese government gives Japanese names to the three Chinese oil-gas fields. Reports say, Japanese Economic and Industrial Ministry started in April formalities of examination and approval for trial exploitation of East China Sea oil-gas fields by non-governmental enterprises. At that time the Japanese side claimed that it would accept applications, changing its decades-long attitude of not wanting to open trial exploitation for fear of provoking China to anger.

Teikoku, Japan's earliest petroleum energy resources development firm founded in 1941, was Japan's "energy lifeline" during World War II. It was regrouped into a non-governmental enterprise in 1950. As early as the 1970s, the firm filed an application with the Japanese government for exploiting oil-gas and other seabed resources on the Japanese side of the "middle line" unilaterally advocated by Japan. After getting the right to trial exploitation, the firm must complete paying "trial extraction excise" within 30 days and must register with the Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, then the firm should present a detailed plan for trial extraction and construction and enter into the preparatory stage of trial exploitation.

The Japanese act has obviously violated the related stipulations of the "UN Convention on the Law of the Sea". According to the Convention, a littoral country may begin counting from the baseline, take the sea area within 200 nautical miles as its own exclusive economic zone, within which all resources belong to the littoral state. The width of the sea surface in most of the East China Sea area between China and Japan is less than 400 nautical miles. The seabed topographical and geomorphic structures of the East China Sea determine that the boundary line demarcation of the exclusive economic zone between China and Japan should follow the principle "the natural extension of the continental shelf". Considering the existing disputes and with a view to safeguarding relations between the two countries, the Chinese side has so far refrained from carrying out resources-tapping activities in the disputed sea area, and has repeatedly emphasized "putting aside disputes and seeking common development". Japan proposed using the middle line of the two countries' baseline to determine the boundary of the exclusive economic zone, i.e. the so-called "middle line". But this proposition is baseless, and so it has never been and cannot be accepted by the Chinese side. The trial extraction activity approved by the Japanese government this time lies in the disputed sea area to the east of the "middle line", the Japanese side has no right to take unilateral action.

The Chinese government gave quick response to this. Cui Tiankai, director of the Asian Department of the Foreign Ministry, summoned Chihiro Atsumi, minister of the Japanese Embassy in China for an urgent meeting on July 15. Cui lodged a strong protest, saying that if the Japanese side attempts to regard its unilateral proposition as an established fact and imposes it on the Chinese side, China will resolutely oppose and will absolutely not accept. That same day, Chinese Embassy in Japan also made solemn representations with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is reported that the marine patrol boat "Haixun-31" of the Maritime Safety Administration under the Chinese Ministry of Communications is presently carrying out the mission of cruise in the East China Sea area. Deputy executive director Liu Gongchen with the Administration indicated that from now on China's maritime affairs will include the contiguous areas and the sea area of the exclusive economic zone into the scope of normal supervision, constantly intensifying efforts of cruise supervision.

With regard to the protest of the Chinese side, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, on the evening of July 15, indicated while answering reporters' questions in his official residence: "Hope that (the East China Sea) would become a sea of cooperation, and not a sea of confrontation."

Japan's line of action very dangerous

Japanese media are well aware that the question of oil and natural gas in the East China Sea, unlike the history issue, more directly concerns state sovereignty and interests, therefore the practice of the Japanese government is quite dangerous. In their opinion, if Japanese enterprises really begin trial exploitation, China will not sit watching, instead, it will definitely adopt various measures to stop it and will possibly send out ships to "use strength to eliminate trial exploitation work in this disputed sea area", and thus trigger conflicts between Japan and China.

Japanese media claim that China will not show weakness on this question. Last year, Japan's airplanes often flew up the sky of Chinese oil and gas fields in the East China Sea and ships to nearby sea areas to carry out activities of reconnaissance and surveillance, which enraged China. Chinese departments concerned clearly warned Japan, saying that if Japan did not stop such provocative actions, the Chinese side would adopt necessary counter-measures.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun says that if Japan is determined to carry out trial exploitation, patrol boats of the two countries by then will confront each other on the sea and then accidents will possibly occur. Some Japanese political parties also proposed that law should be enacted to let patrol boats of the marine security department protect Japanese enterprises' exploitation of petroleum and natural gas in China's exclusive economic zone. Analysts in Tokyo hold that disputes over oil and natural gas in the East China Sea are an issue most possibly cause "accidental discharge" between China and Japan. If the Japanese government is bent on having its own way, and insists on exploiting oil and natural gas in China's exclusive economic zone, then it is not impossible for the outbreak of skirmishes.

A former board chairman of the Japan Petroleum Exploration Company deems that the government's act of calling on the Chinese side to stop exploitation and provide relevant data is very ridiculous and a shameful act of ignoring China's sovereignty. Because the oil and gas fields China exploits lie on China's side of the "middle line" claimed by the Japanese government itself. Furthermore, there is not any international treaty stipulation that exploitation of resources can be carried out only at a distance of set numbers of kilometers, and there is no agreement reached by the two sides in this respect. For an oil development company, geological data are top enterprise secret, "there is absolutely nobody who would allow you to see the data simply because you claim that your own resources could be taken away, of course, probably there could be nobody in the oil exploitation industry who would raise such a request.

Japan's "Tokyo Shimbun" published a lengthy report on July 17, saying that in China-Japan disputes over oil and gas in the East China Sea, Taiwan is not a pure onlooker, signs show that Taiwan may get involved. A Japanese military expert said that Taiwan's involvement would complicate the issue of disputes over resources in the East China Sea, if Taiwan and the Chinese mainland unite to exploit the East China Sea oilfield, Japan would be landed in an extremely difficult position.

What does Japan want to do after all?

Though there is no reason, and yet the Japanese government insists on ratifying enterprises' trial exploitation in the seriously disputed sea area. Where is its aim?

Regarding this, Japanese media and relevant experts air the following views:

Firstly, compelling China to accept the "middle line". In the opinion of the Japanese side, bringing up the East China Sea issue makes it possible to increase bargaining chips for Japan in its future negotiations with China. The expression of Japan's intransigent attitude can show its determination to counter China. It is estimated that Japan will continuously provoke disputes on rights and interests in the East China Sea to contain China's oil and natural gas exploitation activities in this area.

Secondly, turning the question of maritime rights and interests into a territorial issue.

Japan's so-called "middle line" includes China's inherent territory Diaoyu Islands into Japan's "exclusive economic water area". The 2005 annual report released by Japan Coast Guard has listed Diaoyu Islands as one of the main garrison points and the Japanese side has recorded Diaoyu Islands as Japan's "inherent territory". Apparently, the dispute over rights and interests in the East China Sea Japan has provoked is only the first step of its "East China Sea plot". Japan also tries to separate the tie of Diaoyu Islands from China and eventually turn it into "something in Tokyo's bag".

Thirdly, giving vent to its grievances. Some Japanese experts on the China-Japan issue hold that this represents Japan's anger at China's utmost effort to prevent Japan from becoming a permanent UN Security Council member, and gives vent to its vexations through approving enterprises' exploitation of oil and natural gas in the seriously disputed East China Sea, in an attempt to confront China by such a method.

Fourthly, diverting people's attention. Koizumi is faced with crisis-ridden civil affairs including postal privatization reform, which will likely lead to the breakup of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, or to the collapse of the Koizumi cabinet. In view of this, the Koizumi cabinet attempts, through sharpening its contradiction with China on the issue of exploiting oil and natural gas in he East China Sea, to attract domestic attention to the contradiction of contending with China for resources, so as to slip through on domestic problems.

Real exploitation or not remains to be observed

Yomiuri Shimbun says although the Japanese government has adopted a tough attitude, it also tries as far as possible to avoid intensified confrontation with China on the East China Sea issue. Japan will adopt a soft-and-hard tactic, including joint exploitation with China. Although Teikoku has acquired the right to trial extraction, to enter into actual exploitation it still needs to make cautious judgment. Other Japanese oil development enterprises are now taking a wait-and-see attitude and have not blindly followed by filing applications for trial exploitation. Teikoku also indicated that because carrying out activities in disputed sea area may give rise to a security problem, therefore entering into the stage of actual exploitation still needs a period of time and decisions can be made only after conducting consultations with related government organizations. Given this, whether or not Japan will really enter into the stage of trial exploitation remains to be observed.

The article appears on the front page of the Global Times July 18, 2005 and is translated by People's Daily Online