Japan demands China halt oil exploration in part of East China Sea

+1 for the There Will Be Blood drop

Mmmm, China building their own little Wake Island there in the Spratleys I see.

To the right as I type, under the 'Most Popular' section I see: 'China warns Japan against crippling regional peace'. The Chinese Communist Party, not known for their diplomatic or political nous as well as a pretty horrific record of looking after the best interests of the Chinese people, are the most irresponsible body in Asia right now and irony of their call to Japan couldn't be more pronounced.

Danger, Will Robinson. Danger.

After two years now it is a problem especially China is doing it on the Chinese side, it seems that China just can't shake off these leeches.

Flowers

Looks like the only thing you post on here at JT are matters relating to China.

Are you a Chinese plant on JT?

Lets all keep calm and carry on. Now that article 9 is going to be revoked the right wingers within the party seem to be getting louder and louder each day. Lets all hope this doesn't end in conflict irrespective of who supposedly starts it. Not good for Japan, not good for China and not good for Asia. Seriously guys just everyone chill!

With oil at only $50 a barrel, there is no way that any of the state owned oil companies in China are doing this for genuine commercial reasons. It's obviously a political provocation orchestrated by the government.

You could play nice with China but as we all know that would be like taking two steps back and then China will keep pressing its luck and then it will be another two steps back and so on. Why not just match the Chinese and start doing what they're doing and get to those oil and gas deposits before they do. China will regardless of whether Japan does or does not and it's not like Japan is swimming in natural resources like those anyways but does very much need them.

Too bad that China hasn't broken up into about 3 or 4 countries...Various ethnic groups would be better off.

bruin...it will happen!

SCS now E China Sea. Pretty soon there will be harbors, runways and infrastructure in E China Sea as the chinese continue to explore for natural resources. Wow & right, "In your face" of the japanese.

Lets all hope this doesn't end in conflict irrespective of who supposedly starts it.

Conflict? The Abe-bashers don't want a conflict. They want "peace" remember? Better to just turn your head the other way, leave things as is and say- "しょうがない".

And yes, now we are preparing our armed forces to go outside Japan. So, China, beware.

The platforms are being erected on the Chinese side of a median line delineating the exclusive economic zones of the two countries

It's China's territory if Japan even agrees on that, I don't think Japan can complain about it.

@ roughneck

Japan has always had the right to go into E China sea under their current(soon to be previous?) interpretation of the constitution. Okinawa lies in the E China sea and so adjacent waters are fair game for "defensive" action.

The revision (at least one of the revisions) was to make it legal to go "anywhere" in the world.

Zombies.....in your head we're still fighting.

You are expecting a conventional war? Good ol fashion OK Corral? Wrong. When you approach China you are inviting nuclear war.

Have no illusion. China will invite Russia and they will both be happy to go after the U.S. Because Japan is decades behind on the learning curve. What you have on paper will not translate into wartime victories.

I'll be optimistic when all of the young boys are no longer worried about Center-Exams and are gearing up for military training.

Gather all your boys and men.

When you approach China you are inviting nuclear war.

China is no more interested in fighting a nuclear war than anyone else. Any warfare from China will be the economic type, backed with a powerful military in case it comes to that. But they won't be the aggressors in starting military warfare.

They're not listening and they don't care.

The East China Sea = The East China Buffet Table

China has every right to explore oil and gas within its own territory.

China has every right to explore oil and gas within its own territory.

Yes, within their own territory. What does that have to do with this article?

“We have confirmed that China has started construction of new ocean (exploration) platforms and we repeat our opposition to unilateral development by China and call for a halt,” the ministry said.

Why this hawkish remark? Why call for the halt, if the chinese are in their own waters?

They're not listening and they don't care.

Right. Meanwhile, Abe's ratings fall to their lowest. Are the japanese still protesting the sec bills?

what is on the Chinese side is not by any means in question but the line below the water slurping from the Japanese side of a no dispute territory. Question remains is why doesn't Japan put its own rigs out there as a counter.

close to waters claimed by both nations

Looks unambiguous to me. They're Chinese waters.

Chinese drills could tap reservoirs that extend into Japanese territory

This conjecture reminds me of WMD: another wealth redistribution exercise.

Question remains is why doesn't Japan put its own rigs out there as a counter.

Because they (japanese people) would accuse Abe of being a "Hitler." They might even creat an effigy of him resembling Hitler outside the Diet where those small droves go out to sometimes to protest.

'Tis a shame that just when work was progressing on joint research and development of the gas fields, etc. under the disputed waters that Ishihara and Japan had to go and privatize/buy the islands and start this whole carfuffle. Now it's just a game of tit-for-tat with two nations that refuse to back down out of simple and stubborn pride. Restart talks on joint development ASAP -- that's the only way to stop China from doing what it's doing (excluding Japan).

Yes, only right to tell any aggressive party to stay away from Japanese territorial waters. Japan can do this now because it has become realistic & have a strong Armed Forces; also with US security partnership in the Western Pacific region including East China Sea. So what PM Abe did to push thru' amendments to the Constitution re: defence & security is correct. Unless those Japanese peaceniks believe in "kowtowing" to China.

Isn't it obvious that China never care about Senkaku Island but they just want the oil in there.

East Asia Seas proven offshore natural gas reserves are a fraction of the region’s energy demand. The contested jurisdiction can delay or even prevent commercial exploitation. Therefore, despite all the politics surrounding resource development, resources are only one part of the East China Sea dispute. There's a pessimism about the commercial viability of East China Sea gas, particularly when weighed against imported LNG.

The platforms are being erected on the Chinese side of a median line delineating the exclusive economic zones of the two countries, the Japanese ministry official said.

Again , the Wajin ( a gross misnomer, I think.) are inflaming passions here. If the Chinese were doing it on the Japanese side, I would understand. A Japanese ministry official has laid it out clearly.

@Strangerland

Yes, within their own territory. What does that have to do with this article?

They are in their own territory:

The platforms are being erected on the Chinese side of a median line delineating the exclusive economic zones of the two countries, the Japanese ministry official said.

Strangerland: "Yes, within their own territory. What does that have to do with this article?"

From the article, and fact: "The platforms are being erected on the Chinese side of a median line delineating the exclusive economic zones of the two countries, the Japanese ministry official said."

That was easy. Did you even read the news?

Hansaram: "Isn't it obvious that China never care about Senkaku Island but they just want the oil in there."

As opposed to what Japan wants them for, right? and why they're demanding what China is doing be stopped.

Why doesn't Japan put some of their own platforms up and they can be good neighbors and have pot luck dinners. If both are drilling at the same time, it would be wonderful.

Not surprising that this discussion is heading toward "idealized" human relationships and "legality" and "rights".

This article is by "Reuters" and not by a Japanese media or Chinese media. It opines as it usually does without the details necessary, making it an issue which all of us inevitable argue over facts, figures, legality, history and rights.

The sad part is that Japanese media does not "sound off" and Tell it like it is" in most cases, avoiding much needed heated public discussion.

You may not like what I will state here. But, we must all face the "truth" of the facts. and stop dreaming and wishing for the idealized best. So far that has not happened and will not happen without major effort.

Regardless of what Japan says or does as a government, China WILL disregard everyone and every other country and even United Nations to do what it wants to do. Their media has declared again and again that China "deserves" to be the major power it was some centuries ago and "shall gain it back". Every action was and is being "directed" for that purpose. Their "intent" is clearly stated and visible.

Regardless of what the international community may say, they are "powerless" to "stop" Chinese advancement without WAR. That is because, whether you may like it or not, it is not declared ownership, but actual "physical occupation" of any territory "precludes" ownership, especially if that territory is occupied by its citizens or military personnel. Even S. Korea and Russia is aware of that. The only way to take an occupied territory back is by "force" in this current situation and circumstances.

It is not like the Louisiana purchase or Alaska purchase done by USA. That is because as Russia is occupying Crimea, ISIS parts of the Middle East, they are outright "invasion" and "occupation". The only way to get it back is by physically going in to "re-occupy" with friendly forces and population. As long as territory is NOT occupied and used,or "defended" physically, it is open for invasion.

That is the fact of life. That is reality class 101.

Even the lion defends its territory. If you want to be scientific, all living beings "defend" their territory by physical force. Plants as gentle as they appear, also defend their territory aggressively. Our own bodies fight off bacteria and viruses that make us ill and re-occupy with our so call flora of beneficial bacteria and viruses. They are all "physical" and not "legalisms"or "idealism" and definitely not wishful thinking.

How will Japan defend its territory?

That is the question all nations are asking. And it cannot be by spending money to "appease" China, S. Kora or even N. Korea. It is no longer economic, it is "territorial."

That is the fact of life. That is reality class 101.

Great analogies / angles in your post.

How will Japan defend its territory?

Ask the protesters, they have the answer. If not, I'm sure LDP opposition has the answer. Why has japan become so weak?

Ting ZhaoJUL. 22, 2015 - 12:10PM JST China has every right to explore oil and gas within its own territory."

It violates the agreement China made with Japan in 2008 not to unilaterally drill for gas in that area.

It violates the agreement China made with Japan in 2008 not to unilaterally drill for gas in that area.

LoL- when you say "in that area" . . It's very vague. The bottom line is agreement or no agreement- what is Japan going to do here?

“We have confirmed that China has started construction of new ocean (exploration) platforms and we repeat our opposition to unilateral development by China and call for a halt,” the ministry said.

Big, hawkish statement. No Spine to back-it-up though-

LoL- when you say "in that area" . . It's very vague. The bottom line is agreement or no agreement- what is Japan going to do here?

Nothing probably.

The important factor here is that China does recognize the median line which in of itself is basically admitting that Senkaku is part of Japan.

nigelboy, where did it say that China recognized the median line?

nigelboy, where did it say that China recognized the median line?

You're right. It's just a 'coincidence' that dozens of these platforms are built on the edge of the Chinese side of the median line.

Sigh.

nigelboy, no matter how China did it right there seems to be an implication of something else. This reminds me of a story about a blind man groping an elephant and trying to guess what it is.

no matter how China did it right there seems to be an implication of something else

Posturing? Perhaps just use it as a helicopter pad.

Perhaps Japan should just make a platform on its side and just race to see who can get more oil out of the area?