S. Korea calls China’s removal of steel tower in Yellow Sea ‘meaningful progress’
South Korea on Tuesday called China’s decision to remove a disputed steel structure from overlapping waters in the Yellow Sea “meaningful progress.” The subject came up during President Lee Jae Myung’s (L) summit with Chinese President XI Jinping in Beijing in early January. Photo by Yonhap/EPA
Jan. 27 (UPI) — South Korea on Tuesday called China’s decision to remove one of the disputed steel structures from their overlapping waters in the Yellow Sea “meaningful progress” that would help advance bilateral ties.
The foreign ministry made the comment after Being announced that work was in progress to remove part of the three steel structures built in the sea zone where the two countries’ exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap.
China built two semi-submersible buoys in 2018 and 2024 and a fixed steel platform in 2022 in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ). The issue has been a source of tensions in bilateral relations, as Seoul has regarded the installations as Beijing laying the potential groundwork for future territorial claims.
“As we have continued talks with China on the matter based on our consistent position that we oppose the unilateral installations of the structures in the PMZ, we assess the latest move as meaningful progress,” Kang Young-shin, director general for Northeast and Central Asia affairs, told reporters.
“The measure can be seen as a change that would help advance South Korea-China relations,” Kang said.
Another ministry official said China would be moving the management platform out of the PMZ, with the operation expected to begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday (local time) and run through Saturday, citing the notice from China’s maritime authorities.
“We have maintained our constructive dialogue with the Chinese side and will continue to seek further progress going forward,” Kang added.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a briefing that a Chinese company was carrying out the work to remove the management platform, an autonomous operation in progress led by the company in line with its management and development needs.
Seoul and Beijing have agreed to draw the PMZ line as a tentative measure amid the stalled talks over EEZ demarcation in order to allow fishing vessels to operate safely and jointly manage marine resources in the area, while prohibiting activities beyond navigation and fishing.
South Korea has argued that China’s installations of the steel structures run counter to such efforts.
Following the summit talks in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month, President Lee Jae Myung said China was expected to remove one of the three steel platforms from the Yellow Sea.
Beijing’s move came after the two countries reportedly reached an understanding that the management platform should first be pulled out of the PMZ, following concerns raised in Seoul over the possibility that the structure could be diverted for other uses.
The platform that China claims to be a management facility for the fish farm is believed to be a repurposed decommissioned oil rig.
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