LDP mulling bill to protect Japanese interests in EEZ

January 6, 2018

Tokyo- The Liberal Democratic Party is considering introducing a bill to protect Japanese interests within the country's exclusive economic zone amid continued gas development by China in the East China Sea, LDP sources said Friday.

Under the bill, the government would require foreign parties to gain the prime minister's permission to carry out construction projects, such as those to build artificial islands and maritime structures, or conduct scientific research in the EEZ.

The ruling party hopes to submit the bill to the current parliamentary session starting this month, the sources said. It will ask other parties to support the bill.

China is believed to be continuing maritime construction and scientific research projects in the East China Sea near a geographical equidistance line between the two countries.

In the sea, the two countries have not agreed on where to draw the borderline between their EEZs. Japan proposes setting the border along the equidistance line, while China calls for a border closer to the Japanese archipelago.

Meanwhile, Japan has no law to restrict the construction of an artificial island or any other structure in its EEZ by a foreign party.

Last month, the LDP set up a project team to discuss such a bill under the policy panel for the party's House of Councillors members.

The team is headed by Ichita Yamamoto, former minister in charge of affairs related to Okinawa Prefecture and the northwestern Pacific islands at the center of Japan's territorial dispute with Russia.

The envisioned bill would include punishment for failure to obtain the required permission.

The LDP team will discuss details of the bill, such as the definition of an artificial island and other structures and specific ways to remove structures considered illegal under the planned law.

Before writing the bill, the team needs to examine whether the removal of an illegal artificial island is possible under international law. Another problem is whether Japan can practically enforce such a law.

It is uncertain whether the LDP can introduce such a bill anytime soon. Jiji Press