Japan asked not to twist accord of oil exploration

Rejecting an accusation that China has broken an agreement on the oil fields in the East China Sea, the Foreign Ministry yesterday urged Japan not to distort the accord.

"Our position is unchanged. We hope Japan does not misinterpret the principle consensus of the two countries," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters at a regular press briefing.

Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun said on Sunday that China was conducting unilateral development of the Tianwaitian oil and gas field, which, it claimed, is located in the area that Beijing and Tokyo agreed to jointly develop in a breakthrough deal reached last June.