China Defies 2008 Agreement in Disputed Waters With Suspected New Structure

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Two large Chinese-flagged vessels were caught installing what is believed to be a new structure in the East China Sea near the Japan-China median line. The confirmation comes from satellite imagery provided by the European Space Agency. It is backed by ship tracking data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) as of June 30.

At present, the operation appears to be underway in waters west of the median line. A similar installation was observed in May, approximately 45 kilometers southwest of the current site. Including the latter, China has already installed 19 such structures in the area. This latest activity may signal the construction of a 20th.

*Two large Chinese vessels believed to be installing a structure in the East China Sea, June 22. Captured by the European Space Agency satellite (ESA).*

Japan Issues Warning and Files Protest

According to navigation warnings issued by the Japan Coast Guard on June 24, the current activity was detected approximately 360 kilometers north-northwest of Kume Island in Okinawa Prefecture. The warning cited the possible presence of a platform base. Furthermore, it advised vessels in the area to proceed with caution.

The Japanese government believes that China is installing these structures for resource development. On June 24, Masaki Kanai, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), lodged a strong protest with Shi Yong, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of China in Tokyo.

Five days later, on June 29, Liberal Democratic Party Policy Research Council chairperson Itsunori Onodera conducted an aerial inspection of the area. He and a team of officials boarded a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) P-3C patrol aircraft for the survey.

Satellite Confirms Ongoing Construction

An investigation by The Sankei Shimbun confirmed the presence of two large Chinese-flagged vessels anchored in the area. Using imagery from ESA's Sentinel-2 Earth observation satellite and ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic, analysts determined that the vessels arrived around midnight on June 19. Since June 20, they have remained side by side in nearly the same location.

The investigation identified the two ships as the 297-meter heavy-lift crane ship Zhen Hua 30 and the 153-meter cargo transport vessel Haiyang Shi You 226. Both ships appear to be engaged in ongoing maritime construction. Satellite images indicate that Zhen Hua 30 was also involved in similar installation activities back in May. China National Offshore Oil Corporation, a state-owned enterprise, operates the Haiyang Shi You 226. Its unilateral resource development in the region has drawn international concern.

The 2008 Agreement

The disputed area remains without a formally agreed boundary for the exclusive economic zone or continental shelf. In this legal vacuum, China's unilateral construction activities are in breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In 2008, Japan and China signed an agreement to jointly develop gas fields in the East China Sea. The framework calls for both countries to cooperate without undermining their respective legal claims, pending a clear definition of maritime boundaries. Following Japan's formal protest on June 24, the MOFA strongly urged Beijing to return to negotiations based on the 2008 joint development accord.

Beijing Rejects Dialogue

China, however, rejected the protest. At a press conference on June 25, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated, "We do not accept Japan's groundless accusations." He added, "We hope Japan will work in the same direction with China, and create favorable conditions for resuming the intergovernmental negotiations between the two countries."

*A structure (the 13th). An investigation confirmed its foundation in May 2022 (provided by the Ministry of Defense).*

In response, a Japanese MOFA official reaffirmed Tokyo's position. That is, both governments had previously committed to a peaceful and cooperative approach in the region. "Both Japanese and Chinese leaders agreed to make the East China Sea a 'Sea of Peace, Cooperation, and Friendship,'" the official said. "We are strongly urging China to cease unilateral development and refrain from creating faits accomplis in the area."

Reports suggest some of the structures China previously installed include helipads, raising concerns about potential military applications. In 2022, then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated that reports had confirmed radar and other equipment on at least one of the 18 known structures.