Japan Asks China to Make Progress on Joint Gas Development Deal
Japan’s Foreign Minister concluded a three-day visit to Beijing today after calling on China to move to the “next stage” on an agreement to jointly develop gas fields in the East China Sea.
Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura left for Tokyo after asking Chinese officials to formalize details of the gas development deal, Kazuo Kodama, press secretary for Japan’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Beijing late yesterday. Komura, who arrived Aug. 16, attended some Olympic events and met yesterday with State Councilor Dai Bingguo, China’s highest ranking official responsible for foreign relations.
“Two months have passed since the announcement of the basic agreement,” Kodama said. “Now we should move forward to conclude an international agreement to put this accord into action.”
The two countries on June 18 agreed to jointly develop natural-gas fields in the East China Sea in disputed waters. The June announcement did not specify how the countries would carry out the joint exploration in the northern part of the sea.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi called the East China agreement “extremely sensitive” in his meeting with Komura, Kodama said. China’s Foreign Ministry did not respond immediately to a faxed request for comment. A statement on the ministry’s Web site today said the two foreign ministers met yesterday to watch the Olympic Games and exchange views on matters of common concern.
Poisoned Dumplings
Komura told Yang that Japan wants China to share more information about its investigation of food poisoning cases linked to frozen dumplings, Kodama said. More transparency on how China is handing the issue is important to improving Japanese public sentiment regarding China, Kodama said.
At least 10 Japanese consumers were sickened by frozen dumplings made by China’s Tianyang Food Co. earlier this year. China informed Japan last month that the same company’s dumplings also sickened Chinese consumers and it is investigating links between the two cases.
The two discussed the Olympics, North Korea, energy cooperation and food safety.
Komura told Dai that he hopes that after China’s successful hosting of the Olympic Games Chinese diplomacy and domestic policy “will be more open,” Kodama told reporters.
Tags: Gas, Olympic