From Reuters:
China has drilled a gas field in the East China Sea in violation of a June agreement, a Japanese newspaper reported on Sunday, a charge Beijing dismissed because it said the area does not lie in disputed waters.
The Japanese newspaper, the Sankei, said it learned on Saturday that China was drilling the Tianwaitian gas field and that Tokyo had lodged a complaint with Beijing.
Japanese government officials were not available for comment.
In June, both countries agreed to jointly develop gas fields and share profits in disputed areas of the East China Sea.
Beijing said, however, that developing the field was an “inherent sovereign right of China”, according to a statement on the Foreign Ministry’s website (www.mfa.gov.cn)
