Japan warned China yesterday that it would take action if Beijing starts gas production in a disputed field in the East China Sea, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported.
Although the two countries reached a broad agreement in 2008 on principles intended to solve the dispute by jointly developing gas fields, progress has been slow and Japan has accused China of drilling for gas in violation of the agreement.
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada indicated to his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi (楊潔箎) at a meeting in Tokyo yesterday that Japan might also start its own development in the disputed area, if China moves ahead with its gas production at the site, Kyodo reported, citing a ministry source.
The two ministers had heated exchanges, with Yang saying Okada’s stance as not acceptable, Kyodo also reported.
However, the two also agreed on the need to continue frequent high-level dialogue, and Yang invited Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to visit China for this year’s World Expo in Shanghai while Okada also invited Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) to visit Japan, Kyodo also reported.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
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