April 28, 2025

China claims structures built in Provisional Measures Zone of Yellow Sea used for aquaculture

China has refused South Korea's demand to dismantle three structures the country built in the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) of the Yellow Sea, claiming they are for aquaculture purposes and unrelated to territorial claims.

Instead, China proposed that South Korean officials visit the site for inspection, Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on April 24. The proposal was made during the third Korea-China Maritime Cooperation Dialogue on April 23.

"The facility in question is purely for aquaculture purposes and has nothing to do with territorial sovereignty or maritime boundary delimitation," said Hong Liang, director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We are willing to arrange for Korean officials to visit the site directly."

While Seoul is still weighing its response, a senior foreign ministry official told reporters that South Korea "needs to carefully consider how to address our concerns before sending an inspection team," adding, "it's difficult to give a specific timeline."

Officials in Seoul remain wary that an official visit could be interpreted as acceptance of China's unilateral installations in the disputed zone.

China has so far installed three facilities in the PMZ: two known as Shenlan No. 1 and No. 2 — allegedly used for salmon farming — and another fixed steel structure built in 2022 that Beijing describes as a "support facility." The latter is used to store by-products of fish farming and to serve passing barges, according to China.

South Korea called for the "removal of all three structures from the PMZ" in a meeting, but China refused, citing private sector investment.

 
- Korea JoongAng Daily