China on Thursday warned that Japan would have to take "full responsibility" for any consequences if it proceeds with exploration for oil and gas in a contested area of the East China Sea.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remark at a regular news briefing Thursday afternoon, one day after Tokyo announced it would grant Japanese firms concessions to test-drill in the disputed waters nearly halfway between Okinawa and the coast of mainland China.
"What I want to say is that we strongly demand that the Japanese side value the Chinese side's serious concern," Qin said. "The consequences hinge on the Japanese side."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.