Q: What is your comment on the reported decision of the Japanese government to conduct a unilateral survey of seabed resources in the disputed waters in the East China Sea in near future?
A: China is gravely concerned about the decision and has made solemn representations to the Japanese side through diplomatic channels.
China and Japan have disputes on the boundary of the territorial waters in the East China Sea. China has consistently held that the disputes should be solved through negotiations. We hope that Japan will proceed from the overall interest of our bilateral relations and the stability of the region of East China Sea, act prudently and refrain in particular from taking any action that may imperil China's interest and complicate the current situation.