China said on Friday that a move by Tokyo to allow Japanese to drill for oil and gas in East China Sea waters claimed by Beijing was a "serious provocation". "This move by Japan is a serious provocation of China's rights and international norms," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in remarks on the ministry's Web site. "China has already made a protest to Japan, and reserves the right to take further reaction," Qin said in remarks that were also carried by the official Xinhua news agency. Beijing hoped to settle the dispute through negotiations, but could never accept Tokyo's demarcation line, Qin said. --SP 2311 Local Time 2011 GMT