Japan and China strike sea gas deal

Japan and China have reportedly agreed on a gas exploration deal in the East China Sea, striking a compromise over a long-running bilateral row.

Kyodo News, citing sources close to Japan-China relations, said the two nations were expected to announce the deal as early as this week.

The undersea gas fields are one of numerous territorial disputes between Japan and China in the East China Sea, ranging from where to demarcate each country's exclusive economic zone to sovereignty over a small island chain.