Deal pragmatic and without prejudice: Expert

The Sino-Japanese agreement to jointly explore the gas field in the East China Sea is "flexible", "pragmatic" and serves the interests of both sides, an expert on international law said yesterday.

"The agreement is flexible and pragmatic and without prejudice to either side's legal position," Liu Nanlai, an expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in an article on the Global Times' website.

Terms such as "transitional period" and "provisional arrangements" mentioned in the agreement comply with international law and practice.