Friday, December 10, 2004
China denies survey ship was in Japanese waters
BEIJING: China rejected on Thursday a Japanese claim that one of its research vessels was conducting a scientific survey in Japan’s territorial waters, saying the ship was operating in international waters. On Tuesday Japan lodged a protest over the ship it said was operating in its exclusive economic zone near southern Okinotori island without prior notice from China.
"China and Japan have different opinions on the nature of the relevant waters. China thinks the relevant vessel has made normal scientific exploration work on the high seas," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a news conference.
The tiff is the latest in a string of disputes chilling ties between the East Asian giants, including the intrusion of a Chinese nuclear submarine into Japanese waters last month and a row over oil exploration in the East China Sea. Relations are also strained by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s annual visits to a shrine critics say symbolises Japan’s wartime aggression.
"We have maintained high-level contacts with the Japanese side. We hope the Japanese side can remain calm and deal with this matter with prudence," Zhang said.
reuters
Daily Times - All Rights Reserved