China has constructed three new oil and gas platforms in the East China Sea over the past year, drawing formal protests from Japan. These platforms, completed in late August 2025, January 2026, and April 2026, align with exploratory drilling from 2022-2025. Tracking data from Chinese mobile drilling rigs and survey ships indicates Beijing may expand operations into waters more sensitive for Tokyo, increasing friction.
Exploratory drilling occurred near the China-Japan joint development zone from December to May. Japan protests China's development, arguing it taps shared hydrocarbon reserves across the median line, a provisional boundary under Japanese law. Beijing does not recognize this line. Geological surveys were conducted in the southern vicinity of existing platforms and further north near the joint development zone. This activity, particularly northwest of the joint development zone, suggests future platform construction and increased China-Japan tensions.
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