A Japanese oil company on Thursday requested test-drilling rights in the East China Sea, in disputed waters just a few kilometers from where China is preparing full-scale drilling.
Teikoku Oil Co. submitted an application to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to drill for oil and natural gas in three areas totaling 400 sq. km. Two of the areas lie flush against the Chun Xiao and Duan Qiao gas fields, where China's drilling rigs are set up along the border of the exclusive economic zone claimed by Japan.
"We do not have concrete plans to drill at the moment," said Teikoku Oil's President Masatoshi Sugioka in a statement. "Drilling in the waters in question would raise safety issues, and any decision will be based on discussion with government officials."