Related News
Bowing to pressure, Japan lets captain off
Source: Agencies |
September 25, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
JAPANESE prosecutors decided yesterday to release the Chinese fishing boat captain involved in a collision with two Japanese coast guard boats near China's Diaoyu Islands, following intense pressure from China in the worst spat between the Asian neighbors in years.
Prosecutors in Okinawa, southern Japan, where 41-year-old captain Zhan Qixiong has been in custody for more than two weeks, said they would let him go partly because they did not perceive any intent to damage the Japanese boats, but also for diplomatic reasons.
At a press conference in Naha, Okinawa, prosecutors said Zhan was "just a fishing boat captain" and had no criminal record in Japan. They did not perceive any premeditated intent to damage the Japanese patrol boats, said Toru Suzuki, the office's vice prosecutor.
"We have decided that further investigation while keeping the captain in custody would not be appropriate, considering the impact on the people of our country, as well as the Japan-China relations in the future," he said.
'Illegal & invalid'
Japanese news reports said Zhan would likely be released later yesterday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China would send a charter flight back to bring him home.
"I reiterate that what Japan did to the Chinese boat captain in its so-called judicial proceedings were illegal and invalid," Jiang said.
Zhan was arrested on September 8 after the collision. Japanese prosecutors detained and questioned the captain while they decided whether to press charges. His 14-member crew and ship were returned to China.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said he hoped the two countries could quickly put the incident behind them and work at repairing relations.
"It is a fact that Japan-China relations had the potential, and were showing indications, of worsening over this issue," he said.
'Wise decision'
Liu Jiangyong, a professor with Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, called the release a "wise decision" by the Japanese government that could even lead to stronger ties.
"The decision may become a turning point for the improvement of relations between the countries, and both sides should grasp the opportunity to get relations back to the correct track," Liu said.
A Japanese foreign ministry spokesman confirmed earlier yesterday that four Japanese nationals employed by construction firm Fujita Corp had been detained on suspicion of breaking Chinese law regarding the protection of military facilities.
The company said the men traveled to Hebei Province on September 20 to gather information about the area, and were working to prepare a bid for a project to dispose of chemical weapons abandoned in China by the Japanese military during World War II.
Chinese authorities accuse the men of entering a military zone without authorization and illegally videotaping military targets.
Prosecutors in Okinawa, southern Japan, where 41-year-old captain Zhan Qixiong has been in custody for more than two weeks, said they would let him go partly because they did not perceive any intent to damage the Japanese boats, but also for diplomatic reasons.
At a press conference in Naha, Okinawa, prosecutors said Zhan was "just a fishing boat captain" and had no criminal record in Japan. They did not perceive any premeditated intent to damage the Japanese patrol boats, said Toru Suzuki, the office's vice prosecutor.
"We have decided that further investigation while keeping the captain in custody would not be appropriate, considering the impact on the people of our country, as well as the Japan-China relations in the future," he said.
'Illegal & invalid'
Japanese news reports said Zhan would likely be released later yesterday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China would send a charter flight back to bring him home.
"I reiterate that what Japan did to the Chinese boat captain in its so-called judicial proceedings were illegal and invalid," Jiang said.
Zhan was arrested on September 8 after the collision. Japanese prosecutors detained and questioned the captain while they decided whether to press charges. His 14-member crew and ship were returned to China.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said he hoped the two countries could quickly put the incident behind them and work at repairing relations.
"It is a fact that Japan-China relations had the potential, and were showing indications, of worsening over this issue," he said.
'Wise decision'
Liu Jiangyong, a professor with Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, called the release a "wise decision" by the Japanese government that could even lead to stronger ties.
"The decision may become a turning point for the improvement of relations between the countries, and both sides should grasp the opportunity to get relations back to the correct track," Liu said.
A Japanese foreign ministry spokesman confirmed earlier yesterday that four Japanese nationals employed by construction firm Fujita Corp had been detained on suspicion of breaking Chinese law regarding the protection of military facilities.
The company said the men traveled to Hebei Province on September 20 to gather information about the area, and were working to prepare a bid for a project to dispose of chemical weapons abandoned in China by the Japanese military during World War II.
Chinese authorities accuse the men of entering a military zone without authorization and illegally videotaping military targets.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
