(VOVworld) - Japan has denounced China’s new rules restricting fishing activities in the East Sea. Tokyo affirmed on Sunday that it will protect its own territorial waters following the latest violation by Chinese fishing boats.
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Japanese Coast Guard held an exercise (photo: AFP)
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Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said China’s new fishing rules and its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea have raised global concerns. Unilateral issuance of fishing rules can only be applied to national territorial waters. It will not be accepted on international waters.
The Hainan legislative agency’s fishing rules, issued in November, 2013 and effective on January 1st, 2014, are strongly opposed by the US and Philippines. The US State Department called them a provocative and dangerous action which seriously violates freedom of navigation and fishing rights of countries in international waters under the protection of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.