Coal Carrier Enters Service for Okinawa Electric Power
A new coal carrier, Shinryo Maru, was delivered at Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. on March 9. The new coal carrier is the second ship to take the name Shinryo Maru. The first-generation vessel was delivered in 2003 and began transporting coal for OEPC 15 years ago. The new ship, which replaces the previous one, has been registered in Okinawa prefecture, Japan, the same as the first-generation vessel, and will transport coal mainly from Australia and Indonesia to generate electricity for OEPC. Compared to a standard 70,000-ton Panamax bulk carrier, the new Shinryo Maru has a wider beam and a shallower draft, improving transportation efficiency. The delivery ceremony was attended by Mitsuru Omine, president of Okinawa Electric Power Company Inc.
Japan Warns against China's Maritime Activities
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida warned against China's increasing maritime activities, such as artificial land construction in the South China Sea, reports Nikkei. Referring to tensions over China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, Fumio said that Japan will step up efforts to ensure the rule of law for "open and stable seas." He pledged to work for a further improvement of ties with Beijing. "A number of countries have expressed grave concerns about unilateral actions that change the status quo and escalate tensions," Kishida said in a foreign policy address. "Any unilateral attempts, such as land reclamation, to create an accomplished fact cannot be accepted," Kishida said.
Japan, China to Resume Maritime Talks
Japan and China plan to resume security talks with focus on maritime issues as early as April after a four-year hiatus amid simmering tensions over territorial disputes, AFP reports. A meeting planned for Tokyo, which would be the first since January 2011 in Beijing, involving top officials from each country’s foreign and defence ministries, including Japan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama. The talks will likely focus on fostering mutual trust on maritime security, given the continuing tensions over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Tokyo and Beijing are at loggerheads over the sovereignty of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, which Japan administers as the Senkakus, but which China claims as the Diaoyus.
Japanese Deep Ocean Exploration Ship Shown Off
Japan has unveiled a 6,283-ton exploration vessel that will search for rare metals and other natural resources in waters around the nation. The Hakurei, 118 meters long and 19 meters wide, was shown to the media at Harumi Wharf in Tokyo. The vessel features drilling equipment that can dig up 400 meters into the seabed at a depth of 2,000 meters. The ship will initially search for resources off Okinawa Prefecture and the Ogasawara Islands. The Hakurei is owned by the government-backed Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp.
