Japan's Foreign Ministry has lodged a formal protest with China over the construction of a new structure in waters near the Japan-China median line in the East China Sea. This marks the third such installation by China this year in the disputed area, which Japan claims is contested territory. The Japanese government expressed strong opposition to what it describes as Beijing's efforts to develop gas fields in these waters. In response, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, stated that the activities are within China's sovereign territory and dismissed Japan's accusations as baseless. The Chinese side has justified the construction as lawful and rejected Japan's protest. Meanwhile, tensions in the broader South China Sea region persist, with China asserting sovereignty over Ren’ai Reef, part of the Nansha Qundao, and urging the Philippines to cease what it calls provocations and hyping of maritime issues. The Philippines, along with Australia and Canada, recently conducted naval drills in the Scarborough Shoal area, a flashpoint in the South China Sea. Additionally, Malaysia continues its oil and gas drilling operations in the gas-rich South China Sea region, estimated to hold $40 trillion cubic feet of gas, despite Chinese objections. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar emphasized the country's intent to secure economic benefits from its waters.