China, Japan Ties Turn Prickly Over Gas Field
China and Japan's relations have taken a turn for the
worse over China's intention to explore in the Chunxiao
field in the East China Sea between China and Okinawa.
The gas field lies in disputed territory north northeast
of Taiwan.
The field lies 4 kilometers west of the median line between
the two countries, which Tokyo argues should be the demarcation
line between the two countries. The Chinese position is
that the demarcation line should be from the continental
shelf which extends from the Chinese coast, which moves
the line considerably closer to Japan.
The Chinese have proposed that the two countries jointly
exploit the field, a position which Tokyo has rejected.
Instead, the Japanese Foreign Ministry, through their
spokesman, demanded that the Japanese be allowed to see
the Chinese exploration data. This followed the accusation
from Shoichi Nakagawa, the Japanese trade minister, that
China was setting up operations in Japanese waters.
Chinese demand for energy has become a main point of
focus for China's diplomats, and even President Hu Jintao
has become
involved in the quest for secure foreign energy sources.
Chinese domestic oil production is falling just as domestic
demand is picking up. Chinese demand for oil and energy
has hit energy prices hard, forcing it to new heights
as demand increases. Demand has been so high that there
have been electricity
blackouts and brownouts throughtout east China, where
most of China's manufacturing capacity is located.
Japan's demand for energy has grown at a much slower
pace because its economy is mature. The Japanese economy
has recently improved, and many Japanese companies feel
that demand from China has been a major factor for Japan's
improved performance. For this reason, Japanese companies
want to avoid any dispute with China.Unfortunately, Japanese
prime minister Koizumi depends on a nationalistic faction
in the Japanese government to retain a majority. This
minority, of which trade minister Nakagawa is a member,
sees China more as a threat to Japan.
Chinese and Japanese ties have been historically touchy
because of the Japanese invasion of China in WWII, which
took the lives of some 20 million Chinese. Many younger
Chinese feel that the Japanese have not expressed enough
remorse for the invasion, and small disagreements, even
over a recent soccer match, can quickly flare up into
disputes which lead to calls to boycott
Japanese products.
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