Photo : YONHAP News
A Chinese company is in the process of relocating some of the steel structures in the South Korea-China Provisional Measures Zone, or PMZ, an area of the Yellow Sea where the two countries’ exclusive economic zones overlap, according to Beijing on Thursday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during a briefing that the Chinese company is currently working on a project related to relocating management platforms, which Beijing has claimed are for fishing.
Guo was also quick to stress that the move was a voluntary adjustment by the company based on its own operational and development needs.
He said China maintains its position that the steel structures in the PMZ are for legitimate civilian purposes, adding that Seoul and Beijing have maintained close communication on maritime issues and have properly managed their differences while promoting mutually-beneficial cooperation.
The Chinese official was apparently characterizing the relocation as being a self-initiated move rather than the result of diplomatic consultations between the two countries.