BEIJING, JULY 9, SPA -- A DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS REMAINED AFTER CHINA AND JAPAN ENDED TALKS SUNDAY ON THEIR COMPETING CLAIMS TO GAS RESERVES IN THE EAST CHINA SEA, BOTH SIDES SAID. «THERE STILL REMAINS A GAP BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND THE JAPANESE SIDE,» A JAPANESE EMBASSY OFFICIAL SAID ONCUSTOMARY CONDITION OF ANONYMITY. «THEY DIDN’T SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS.» BEIJING AND TOKYO HAVE NUMEROUS DISPUTES RELATED TO CLAIMS IN THE EAST CHINA SEA, RANGING FROM WHERE TO DEMARCATE EACH COUNTRY’S EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE TO SOVEREIGNTY OVER A SMALL ISLAND CHAIN. CHINA’S OFFICIAL XINHUA NEWS AGENCY SAID «BOTH SIDESFRANKLY EXCHANGED VIEWS.» «ALTHOUGH BIG DIFFERENCES REMAIN ... THIS ROUND OF TALKS (WAS) BENEFICIAL AND PRAGMATIC,» XINHUA SAID, CITING A FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT. THE TWO-DAY TALKS BETWEEN JAPAN’S CHIEF NEGOTIATOR,FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL KENICHIRO SASAE, AND HIS CHINESE COUNTERPART, HU ZHENGYUE, OPENED SATURDAY WITH TOKYO URGING BEIJING TO RECONSIDER JAPAN’S PROPOSAL TO JOINTLY DEVELOP THE DEPOSITS. --SPA 09/07/2006 11:22 ت م www.spa.gov.sa/374283