Japan has extended its continental shelf to include a significant portion of the Ogasawara Plateau, confirming the presence of cobalt-rich crusts and other rare metals, reports Anadolu Ajansi. This move, intended to facilitate research and extraction of maritime natural resources, was formalized through a revised Cabinet order.
Last month, Japan’s Cabinet approved decrees to expand the continental shelf by 120,000 square kilometers (about 46,330 square miles) in the Ogasawara Plateau, situated east of Father Island. The expansion aims to bolster Japan’s exploration and development of natural resources, including rare earth minerals essential for technologies like electric vehicle batteries. However, the decision has sparked opposition from China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning criticized Japan‘s decision, claiming it violates the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and established international practices. Despite this, Japanese Minister for Ocean Policy Yoshifumi Matsumura emphasized Japan’s sovereign rights to explore and develop resources on its continental shelf.
The minister has expressed concerns and suspicions about China’s maritime activities, too, referring to the installment of the Chinese buoy in the high seas over Japan’s continental shelf in the Pacific Ocean without adequate explanation earlier this year.
While Japan has the right to develop the seabed resources there in accordance with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, any country can conduct surveys in the waters above it, and U.S. buoys are also present in the area.
Commenting the exchange between two countries, a senior Foreign Ministry official said to Japan Times that there is a difference between the relationship of trust with the United States, which is transparent, and that with China.
