China said Thursday it has sent warships to the disputed East China Sea, a day ahead of talks with Japan over competing territorial claims in the gas-rich waters.
"I can now confirm that in the East China Sea, a Chinese reserve vessel squadron has been established," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular briefing.
"The establishment of this vessel squadron is aimed at handling emergency situations like rapid mobilization and assistance at sea during peacetime, while also raising the ability of the navy."
He refused to give further details.
It was unclear whether the dispatch of the squadron is targeted at Japan.
The state-run Xinhua news agency said earlier this week that the squadron would be ready for combat if necessary.
The naval unit will meet the demands of "being able to handle emergencies during peacetime, and being able to fight during wars," Xinhua said.
The unit will also be equipped to "eliminate obstacles at sea," it said.
No details were given on the size of the squadron or the area it will patrol.
The establishment of the squadron follows China's creation in May of two naval groups in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea off the northern China coast, the agency said.
Japan said earlier this month that China has started production from a potentially lucrative gas field in the East China Sea.
It said that although China appeared to be drilling on its side of a dividing line, it could extract underground gas that was on the Japanese side of the line.
China, which does not recognize the maritime line, said its exploration was in undisputed waters.
The two sides will hold consultations in Tokyo on Friday on the dispute. Previous high-level meetings have led to no agreement other than to continue dialogue.
Qin repeated China's position Thursday.
"China's gas field exploration is being conducted in undisputed waters near China. We are willing to continue to hold dialogue with the Japanese side to properly resolve relevant issues so as to maintain stability in the East China Sea," he said.
Earlier in September, Japan said it spotted Chinese warships at the disputed fields for the first time in what Beijing called a routine exercise.
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