Mainichi wrote that Foreign Minister Kishida told the press on Tuesday that Japan has lodged a protest with China through diplomatic channels over its gas exploration in the East China Sea after confirming the presence of a Chinese drillship near the median line separating the exclusive economic zones of Japan and China. Kishida stated that it is extremely regrettable that China is proceeding with unilateral development in the area when the boundary between Japan and China in the East China Sea is not yet fixed.