China protests Japan seizure of Chinese fishing boat, crew
Source: Xinhua |
September 9, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA yesterday lodged a strong protest against Japan over the detention of a Chinese fishing boat and its crew near China's Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.
China demanded that Japan release the Chinese ship and crew members and guarantee their safety.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue summoned Uichiro Niwa, the Japanese ambassador to China, yesterday to lodge the protest, the strongest wording so far over the incident.
Two Japanese patrol boats collided with the Chinese fishing boat in waters off the Diaoyu Islands on Tuesday. No injuries were reported from the collision, but the fishing boat was then intercepted by Japanese patrol boats.
On the same day, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao summoned the Japanese ambassador and urged Japanese patrol boats to stop their interception of Chinese fishing boats.
Yesterday morning, Japan's Coast Guard arrested the captain of the fishing trawler, 41-year-old Zhan Qixiong. The Coast Guard said the Chinese captain had been arrested on charges of "obstructing public duties" in connection with Tuesday's collision.
The captain was taken to Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture at around 7am. The 14 Chinese crew were taken to Ishigaki in the afternoon but were barred from disembarking.
Immediately after the arrest, Cheng Yonghua, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, lodged solemn representations to Japan. The Chinese embassy has sent personnel to visit the Chinese fishermen being held at Ishigaki Island.
Japan's Coast Guard spokesman Daisuke Takahashi said officials are interrogating the captain. The remaining 14 crew members are free to return to China if the Chinese send a vessel to pick them up, he said.
Japanese Foreign Press Secretary Satoru Sato told reporters yesterday the collision should be investigated under Japan's criminal law.
On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that China demanded Japanese patrol boats refrain from so-called law-enforcement activities in waters off the Diaoyu Islands and refrain from actions that would threaten the security of Chinese fishing boats and crew.
"The Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islets have been Chinese territory since ancient times," Jiang said. "We will closely follow the situation and reserve our right to take further actions."
Fishermen from China's Taiwan and Fujian and other provinces have been fishing and collecting herbs in this area since ancient times.
"The Diaoyu Islands have historically been a part of China's territory, and it is very normal for the Chinese fishermen to conduct fishing in our territorial waters," said Lu Yaodong, director of the Institute of Japanese Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
With the Democratic Party of Japan's presidential election approaching on September 14, the ship collision incident might be used in the struggle between Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his rival Ichiro Ozawa, said Liu Jiangyong, professor with the Institute of International Studies of Tsinghua University.
Since the situation was "very complicated," Liu said the two countries should prevent the tension from escalating.
China demanded that Japan release the Chinese ship and crew members and guarantee their safety.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue summoned Uichiro Niwa, the Japanese ambassador to China, yesterday to lodge the protest, the strongest wording so far over the incident.
Two Japanese patrol boats collided with the Chinese fishing boat in waters off the Diaoyu Islands on Tuesday. No injuries were reported from the collision, but the fishing boat was then intercepted by Japanese patrol boats.
On the same day, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao summoned the Japanese ambassador and urged Japanese patrol boats to stop their interception of Chinese fishing boats.
Yesterday morning, Japan's Coast Guard arrested the captain of the fishing trawler, 41-year-old Zhan Qixiong. The Coast Guard said the Chinese captain had been arrested on charges of "obstructing public duties" in connection with Tuesday's collision.
The captain was taken to Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture at around 7am. The 14 Chinese crew were taken to Ishigaki in the afternoon but were barred from disembarking.
Immediately after the arrest, Cheng Yonghua, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, lodged solemn representations to Japan. The Chinese embassy has sent personnel to visit the Chinese fishermen being held at Ishigaki Island.
Japan's Coast Guard spokesman Daisuke Takahashi said officials are interrogating the captain. The remaining 14 crew members are free to return to China if the Chinese send a vessel to pick them up, he said.
Japanese Foreign Press Secretary Satoru Sato told reporters yesterday the collision should be investigated under Japan's criminal law.
On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that China demanded Japanese patrol boats refrain from so-called law-enforcement activities in waters off the Diaoyu Islands and refrain from actions that would threaten the security of Chinese fishing boats and crew.
"The Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islets have been Chinese territory since ancient times," Jiang said. "We will closely follow the situation and reserve our right to take further actions."
Fishermen from China's Taiwan and Fujian and other provinces have been fishing and collecting herbs in this area since ancient times.
"The Diaoyu Islands have historically been a part of China's territory, and it is very normal for the Chinese fishermen to conduct fishing in our territorial waters," said Lu Yaodong, director of the Institute of Japanese Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
With the Democratic Party of Japan's presidential election approaching on September 14, the ship collision incident might be used in the struggle between Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his rival Ichiro Ozawa, said Liu Jiangyong, professor with the Institute of International Studies of Tsinghua University.
Since the situation was "very complicated," Liu said the two countries should prevent the tension from escalating.
- 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.
