FM: Sovereign rights of Chunxiao oil and gas field belong to China

Source: CCTV.com | 06-25-2008 11:11

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi says the consensus reached with Japan is an important step to a win-win result for the two countries and their peoples.

The East China Sea has long been a sore point in bilateral relations.

Last Wednesday, the governments of China and Japan announced they'd reached a principled consensus on the East China Sea dispute.

Yang Jiechi said the sovereign rights of the Chunxiao oil and gas field in the East China Sea belong to China.

According to the consensus, Chinese enterprises welcome the participation of Japanese legal entities in the development of Chunxiao resources in accordance with relevant Chinese laws.

As for the demarcation of the East China Sea, the foreign minister said China does not recognize Japan's unilateral claim of what it calls the "median line" between the two countries. China insists on the principle of the natural extension of its continental shelf.

Yang Jiechi also said the consensus is a transitional effort at resolution, which does not affect China's sovereignty.

The East China Sea has long been a sore point in bilateral relations.

China and Japan agreed to make provisional arrangements without touching upon sovereign rights, so as to allow steady development of ties.