China regrets ordering halt to hoisting work near Jeju Island

China has expressed regret over deploying a vessel to demand that Korea stop hoisting a sunken commercial ship near the submerged rock called Ieo Island in the East China Sea that Beijing claims as Chinese territory.

Diplomatic sources said Wednesday that China expressed regret last month. In response, Korea said the two countries should not fight over the reefs as the territorial issue should be resolved by drawing a maritime border for their exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.

China is said to have accepted the proposal and agreed to let Korea continue the hoisting work.

A Korean government official said both sides held a consultation through the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. Beijing, however, sent an official ship to the waters in question this month even after the agreement.

“It appears that the Chinese government has been unable to conclude this issue,” a source said.

The Korea Coast Guard will strengthen its maritime patrol activities. With a 3,000-ton patrol ship stationed near Ieo, Korean maritime authorities plan to patrol the area by using helicopters every day since China might send another official ship and claim sovereignty over the waters amid the hoisting of a coal bulk ship that sank in waters 0.8 kilometers off Ieo Island.

On June 13 and July 2 and 5, Chinese naval boats approached Ieo and urged the Korean vessels to stop the hoisting work “in Chinese territorial waters” unless they had official authorization.

The Korea Coast Guard, however, plans not to stop official Chinese vessels from approaching the underwater reef as both countries have yet to define bilateral maritime borders.

zeitung@donga.com kchwang@donga.com