Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7 -- Japan's Vice-Minister for Economy, Trade, and Industry Takao Kitabata said Aug. 7 that his country will undertake a new inquiry into information that China has begun full-fledged production at Chunxiao natural gas field in the East China Sea.
Kitabata's remarks followed reports issued by China National Offshore Oil Corp. that Zhang Guobao, vice-chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, had announced the beginning of production after inspecting the gas field July 24.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Sec. Shinzo Abe on Aug. 7 said Tokyo had asked Beijing on Aug. 4 to confirm the start of Chunxiao field production, but he received no response. Japan also repeated its requests that a Chinese consortium, including CNOOC, should halt developments at Chunxiao and provide Japan with data on the project.
Chunxiao field, which lies just west of the Japan-designated median line, separates the two countries' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones. Beijing does not recognize the line.
Last October Japan's Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa warned that his country would take "bold action" if China was found to be building a pipeline to carry oil or gas from the disputed region (OGJ Online, Oct. 10, 2005).
Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].
