China yesterday declared that it has every right to drill for oil and gas in the East China Sea, near waters disputed with Japan, and does not recognize the median line that Japan set as the border between the two countries in these waters.

A Chinese drilling rig in a newly released photo from Japan. Photo: Telegraph

"China and Japan have not demarcated the maritime boundary in the East China Sea, and China does not recognize the unilateral demarcation of the so-called 'median line' by the Japanese side," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

China added that it has a 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the East China Sea that extends to the Okinawa Trough area. China's Foreign Ministry called on Japan to facilitate the resumption of talks, saying Tokyo had "distorted" the consensus reached in 2008.

Japan this week called on China to halt construction of oil and gas exploration platforms in the East China Sea, near waters claimed by both countries. Tokyo fears that Chinese drilling could touch oil and gas deposits that extend into Japanese territory.

Japan released aerial photos of Chinese construction in the area, accusing Beijing of unilateral action and reluctance to comply with a 2008 five-year agreement on joint exploitation of resources there.

(According to VNExpress)