China, Japan: A Resolution to the East China Sea Dispute?

Japanese Trade Ministry official Takehiko Nagai has denied a report that China and Japan have settled their dispute over natural gas fields in the East China Sea by agreeing to split the profits from joint development activities equally, the Japanese business daily Nikkei reported Feb. 4. If such a deal were struck, it would be a symbolic intertwining of China and Japan's energy security interests, helping Beijing build a buffer of cooperative relationships around itself.