Japan says China has drilling rigs near disputed waters

China has put 16 drilling rigs close to its de facto maritime border with Japan, Tokyo said Wednesday, July 22, in the latest twist in a row over gas fields in waters disputed by the two countries. The Japanese government released diagrams showing the location of platforms which it says could exploit undersea reserves over which the two countries are at loggerheads. The platforms have all appeared despite a June 2008 agreement in which the two countries said they would jointly develop the area in the wake of friction over who had the rights to exploit the resources. Of the 16, 12 have been installed in the last two years, Japan said.

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