China condemns Japanese survey

China has protested against Japan for starting a geological survey in a disputed section of the East China Sea.

Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the move was dangerous and provocative, according to state media.

Japan said it had begun the survey because it feared that a new Chinese natural gas plant might draw supplies from Japanese territory.

The Chinese plant has been built just 5km away from islands which both countries claim.

Wang Yi summoned the Japanese ambassador and delivered an official complaint, after Japan began its exploration in the region on Wednesday.

"China urges the Japanese side to... immediately stop the act that infringed upon China's interests and sovereignty," Xinhua news agency reported.

Mr Wang said China could not tolerate the move and "firmly opposes the dangerous provocative act".

But Japan claims the survey is being carried out because of a natural gas production facility recently built by China near the disputed cluster of islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan and Diaoyus in China.

Japan is concerned that the project might draw gas from what it considers to be a Japanese economic zone.

Japan considers all waters east of the midway point between it and China to be Japanese territory, giving it exclusive rights to fishing and minerals on the sea bed.

But Beijing and Tokyo have yet to agree where the sea border lies.