JapanishypingupandcontestingChina'slegitimateoilandgasdevelopmentactivitieswithinitsownjurisdictionalwatersintheEastChinaSea.Clingingtounilateralmaritimeclaims,JapanhasdisregardedthefundamentalprinciplesofinternationallawandinterferedwithChina'sexerciseofitsmaritimerights.

China'sdevelopmentofnaturalgasfieldsandtheconstructionoffacilitiesareentirelylegitimateactivitieswithinitsjurisdictionalwaters.

TheyalignwiththeUnitedNationsConventionontheLawoftheSeaandinternationalpractice,andnocountryhastherighttointerfereinthematterorcriticizethesemoves.

ThecoreoftheEastChinaSeaissueisthelongstandingdifferencesbetweenChinaandJapanregardingthedelimitationoftheExclusiveEconomicZone,thedevelopmentofmarineresourcesandmaritimestrategicinterests.

JapanpersistentlydisregardsthegeographicalrealityofanaturalboundaryoftheSino-Japanesecontinentalshelf.Instead,itforciblypromotesaunilateral"medianline"claimtoimposeunreasonabledemandsonothers.ThisviolatesthespiritofinternationallawoftheseaandrunscountertothefundamentalinterestsofthehealthydevelopmentofChina-Japanbilateralrelations.

Tokyoisnowtryingtoescalatetheissuethroughexaggerationandfalsehoodsaimedatattractinginternationalattention.Byclaimingthatthenewlybuiltfacilitiesamountto"unilaterallychangingthestatusquo"itwantstoincitehardlinedomesticsentimentandcourtexternalforcestointervene.

ThisisabrazenefforttosqueezeChina'smaritimerights,seizecontroloverEastChinaSearesourcesandundermineregionalpeaceandstability.

Japan'sattemptstostiruptensionsintheEastChinaSeahavedeeperpoliticalmotives.Itwantstodiverttheattentionoftheinternationalcommunityfromitsdangeroustilttowardmilitarizationandtheremovalofconstraintsonarmssales.

China'sactivitiesintheEastChinaSeahaveconsistentlyadheredtolegalprinciplesandinternationallaw.

ThegeomorphologicalandgeologicalfeaturesindicatethatthecontinentalshelfoftheEastChinaSeaisthenaturalextensionofChina'slandmass,andthereisanimportantgeographicalunitwithdistinctcharacteristicsthatmarktheendofChina'scontinentalshelfintheEastChinaSea.

China'sexplorationanddevelopmentofresourceswithinitsjurisdictionalwatersconstitutealegitimateexerciseofsovereignrights.Theseactivitiesfollowlegalproceduresandareconductedinanopenandtransparentmanner,formingacompleteandstandardizedchainofevidencethatcanwithstandscrutinyunderinternationallawandfactualreview.

Itisacommonpracticeforcoastalstatestodevelopnaturalresourceswithintheirjurisdictionalwaters.Japan'sbaselessinterferenceandobstructionoftheseactivitiesreflectadoublestandardandblatantlyunreasonablebehavior.

Japannotonlyviolatesinternationallawbutalsodistortsfactstomisleadtheinternationalcommunity.

Atthediplomaticlevel,suchmovescanhaveanegativeimpactonChina-Japanrelations.

Atsea,increasedclose-rangenavalandaerialactivitiesheightentheriskofmiscalculationsandconflict,therebyunderminingpeaceandstabilityintheEastChinaSea.Attheinternationallevel,Japanexaggeratestheso-called"Chinathreat"andcourtsexternalforcestointervene,whichimpedesregionalcooperationinEastAsia.

ChinahasrespondedtoJapan'sprovocationsresolutely,upholdingitssovereigntyandmaritimerightswithoutyieldinganinch.

IthasfirmlyrejectedJapan'sillegalclaims,andcontinuestodevelopoilandgasresourcesintheEastChinaSea.Atthesametime,Chinaalsobelievesinpeacefullyresolvingmaritimedisputes,keepingdiplomaticcommunicationchannelsopenandmanagingdifferenceswithdialogue.

Theapproachisnottoescalatetensions,buttodefenditsrightsaccordingtothelawandpersuadeotherswithreason.Authoritativestatements,professionalanalyses,andsustainedglobalengagementarepartoftheeffortstoclarifyfacts,demonstratepeacefulintentionsandearnthesupportoftheinternationalcommunity.

Peaceandstabilityatseaaresharedinterestsofallstatesintheregion,andmaritimecooperationbenefitsbothChinaandJapan.

Chinahasconsistentlyadvocatedforhandlingmaritimedisputesthroughdialogueandnegotiationonthebasisofmutualrespect.ChinaiswillingtoengageinconstructivedialoguewithJapan,andpromotepracticalcooperationinlow-sensitivityareas,suchasmarineenvironmentalprotection,maritimesearchandrescue,andfisheryconservation.

PeaceandstabilityinEastAsiafacenumerouschallengestoday.Maritimecooperationanddevelopmentarewhatpeopledesire.

Chinawillcontinuetoadheretointernationallaw,safeguarditsmaritimerightsandpromoteregionalstability.Theguidingprincipleissimple:Chinadoesnotprovoketrouble,nordoesitfearit.