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Japan warned of tough action on boat captain
Source: Agencies |
September 20, 2010, Monday
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CHINA suspended high-level exchanges with Japan yesterday and promised tough countermeasures after a Japanese court extended the detention of the captain of a Chinese fishing boat.
The spat between the two countries has flared since Japan arrested the captain after two Japanese patrol ships and the Chinese boat collided off the Diaoyu Islands on September 7. The Japanese side illegally seized the trawler and its crew, and continued to illegally hold the captain despite protests by China.
The Japanese authorities yesterday extended the captain's detention, which was due to expire yesterday, to September 29.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya made solemn representations to Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa last night to express strong indignation and protest at the prolonged detention of the captain
"The incident created by the Japanese side has severely damaged China-Japan relations," said Wang, stressing that how the situation develops completely depends on what choices the Japanese side will make.
Wang warned China will take strong countermeasures if the Japanese side fails to release the Chinese captain immediately and unconditionally. "Japan shall bear all the consequences that arise," he said.
The Foreign Ministry said yesterday that China had suspended bilateral exchanges at and above the provincial or ministerial levels, and halted contact with Japan on the issues of increasing civil flights and expanding aviation rights between the two countries.
A bilateral meeting on coal has also been postponed.
In the meantime, the number of Chinese citizens traveling to Japan as tourists has already declined.
"China demands that Japan immediately release the captain without any preconditions," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.
"If Japan acts wilfully despite advice to the contrary and insists on making one mistake after another, the Chinese side will take strong countermeasures," Ma said.
The extension of the Chinese captain's detention came a day after anti-Japanese protests across China on the anniversary of the Japanese invasion in 1931 and demanded the captain be freed.
Hundreds of Chinese gathered outside Japanese diplomatic residences across the country on Saturday to protest at the captain's seizure as sirens wailed to mark the 79th anniversary of the brutal invasion.
The Nikkei business daily reported yesterday that Japan may start drilling near a gas field in the East China Sea if China does the same. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his new foreign minister said Japan will take "countervailing steps" if China starts drilling at the Chunxiao gas field, Nikkei said.
The spat between the two countries has flared since Japan arrested the captain after two Japanese patrol ships and the Chinese boat collided off the Diaoyu Islands on September 7. The Japanese side illegally seized the trawler and its crew, and continued to illegally hold the captain despite protests by China.
The Japanese authorities yesterday extended the captain's detention, which was due to expire yesterday, to September 29.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya made solemn representations to Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa last night to express strong indignation and protest at the prolonged detention of the captain
"The incident created by the Japanese side has severely damaged China-Japan relations," said Wang, stressing that how the situation develops completely depends on what choices the Japanese side will make.
Wang warned China will take strong countermeasures if the Japanese side fails to release the Chinese captain immediately and unconditionally. "Japan shall bear all the consequences that arise," he said.
The Foreign Ministry said yesterday that China had suspended bilateral exchanges at and above the provincial or ministerial levels, and halted contact with Japan on the issues of increasing civil flights and expanding aviation rights between the two countries.
A bilateral meeting on coal has also been postponed.
In the meantime, the number of Chinese citizens traveling to Japan as tourists has already declined.
"China demands that Japan immediately release the captain without any preconditions," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.
"If Japan acts wilfully despite advice to the contrary and insists on making one mistake after another, the Chinese side will take strong countermeasures," Ma said.
The extension of the Chinese captain's detention came a day after anti-Japanese protests across China on the anniversary of the Japanese invasion in 1931 and demanded the captain be freed.
Hundreds of Chinese gathered outside Japanese diplomatic residences across the country on Saturday to protest at the captain's seizure as sirens wailed to mark the 79th anniversary of the brutal invasion.
The Nikkei business daily reported yesterday that Japan may start drilling near a gas field in the East China Sea if China does the same. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his new foreign minister said Japan will take "countervailing steps" if China starts drilling at the Chunxiao gas field, Nikkei said.
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