MFA ON JAPANESE RESEARCH VESSEL DISPUTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 000887 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2017 TAGS: PREL MARR CH JA SUBJECT: MFA ON JAPANESE RESEARCH VESSEL DISPUTE Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Daniel Shields. Reasons 1. 4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) The Chinese ship Dongfanghong, which was the subject of a February 5 Japanese diplomatic protest, is a civilian ship conducting normal scientific survey research, MFA Japan Division Deputy Director Lu Guijun told poloff February 6. Beijing had notified Tokyo in 2006 of the ship's research activities in many parts of the East China Sea, as required by the prior notification framework agreed to between China and Japan, Lu said. However, Lu said Beijing did not notify Tokyo of the ship's activities, which concluded February 4, near the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. China considers the islands its own territory and would therefore never notify Japan about such activities as it does not recognize Japanese territorial claims to the islands. ¶2. (SBU) Separately, MFA Spokesperson Jiang Yu said at the February 6 Press Conference that the activities of the Dongfanghong are normal, scientific maritime survey activities unrelated to the advance notice mechanism used elsewhere by China and Japan with respect to the East China Sea (septel). China warned that Japan should not sensationalize the issue. RANDT