Aso has ruffled Chinese feathers repeatedly in recent months, most recently
by accusing Beijing of using female spies to seduce Japanese diplomats to later
blackmail them for classified information.
He also triggered protests from Beijing by calling China a significant threat
in Asia, and suggesting that Taiwan's high educational standards were a legacy
of Tokyo's 1895-1945 colonial rule over the island.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin also talked about the East China Sea
issue. He said China can not accept Japan's proposal to divide the zones
through the "median line" for solving the gas dispute as it stems from Japan's
unilateral position.
The Japanese demarcation principle is something that "China has never
accepted, nor will accept in the future," he said.
China tabled a "rational, reasonable and constructive plan" during bilateral
talks in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday, Qin said. "We hope Japan can carefully
study the plan proposed by China."
Based on the "continental shelf" principle, Beijing insists it has rights to
marine resources east of the median line, to the edge of the continental shelf
near Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.
