中国がガス田開発継続　東シナ海、政府が抗議

　外務省は３日、中国が東シナ海の日中中間線の中国側海域で開発を進めるガス田のうち、新たに１基で炎が出ているのが確認されたと発表した。生産活動を開始した可能性が高いとみて、船越健裕アジア大洋州局長が在日中国大使館の楊宇次席公使に強く抗議した。
　炎が上がっていたのは、５月に設置の動きが確認された１７基目の構造物。日中両政府は２００８年にガス田の共同開発で合意したが、その後の協議は停滞しており、中国側が一方的に開発を進めている。（2022/10/03-19:55）

Japan has lodged a strong protest against natural gas field development activities by China in waters near the Japan-China median line in the East China Sea, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
   Tokyo has newly confirmed flames at one of the structures built by Beijing in the western side of the line, the ministry said, believing that China is highly likely to have started natural gas production activities there.
   Takehiro Funakoshi, director-general of the ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, made the protest to Yang Yu, minister at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo.
   The flames were confirmed at the 17th Chinese structure, where construction moves were detected in May.
   In 2008, the two countries agreed to jointly develop a natural gas field in the East China Sea. Talks on the program stalled, however, with China developing the area unilaterally.