Yellow Sea fish farm row threatens to derail efforts to improve China-South Korea ties

Three large steel structures in a disputed area of the Yellow Sea have raised tensions between China and South Korea and prompted comparisons to Beijing’s island-building programme in the South China Sea.

Beijing insists the three structures in the waters where the two countries’ claims to an exclusive economic zone overlap are being run by commercial fish farmers, but critics in South Korea fear they were installed to support China’s territorial claims.

“China’s installation method mirrors its South China Sea tactics,” said Kweon Seong-dong, a lawmaker from the conservative People Power Party, alluding to Beijing’s programme of building artificial reefs and installing military facilities in disputed waters.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday the structures “do not violate the China-South Korea fisheries agreement nor are they related to maritime delimitation issues between the two countries”. He also said China was willing to talk to resolve the dispute.

But some Chinese analysts warned that the structures could hinder efforts to improve relations at a time when Beijing was seeking support from its neighbours in its opposition to US tariffs.

Lu Chao, a professor at Liaoning University, said recent tensions in the Yellow Sea had fuelled anti-China sentiment in South Korea.

South China Morning Post