Meaning of として after past form in this sentence


I heard this sentence in [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFvF8csLftU)
news:

> 外務省は事前の同意がなかったとして、ただちに中国側に対し、「海洋の科学的調査を実施しているのであれば極めて遺憾だ」と即時中止を求めて抗議しました

I know とする and として can have
[several](https://jisho.org/word/%E3%81%A8%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B)
[meanings](https://jisho.org/word/%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6) and I found
answers about として (like
[this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/35747/what-is-the-
function-of-%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6-in-this-
sentence-v%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6) and
[this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/11230/what-
does-%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6-mean-here)), but I can't find a meaning that
fits that sentence; some meaning like "to suppose that (such) is the case; to
assume; thinking that" could fit, but it seems strange that the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs would not know if there was an agreement, and would comment
that way without checking first, so I don't think that's the case.

