China called on its people yesterday to keep within the law in their “understandable” anger at Japan, a day after protesters in both countries rallied to claim sovereignty over disputed islands.
Relations between Asia’s top economies worsened sharply last month, when Japan detained a Chinese fisherman whose boat collided with Japanese patrol ships near the disputed islands — called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyutai (釣魚台) in Taiwan and China.
The islands are near potentially huge oil and gas reserves in the East China Sea.
Photo: AFP
“It is understandable that some people expressed their outrage against the recent erroneous words and deeds on the Japanese side,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ma Zhaoxu (馬朝旭) said in a statement posted on the ministry’s Web site early yesterday.
“We maintain that patriotism should be expressed rationally and in line with law. We don’t agree with irrational actions that violate laws and regulations,” he said.
An estimated crowd of 2,000 gathered in downtown Chengdu, Sichuan Province, from early afternoon on Saturday, unfurling banners and shouting “Defend the Diaoyu Islands,” “Fight Japan” and other slogans.
Protests were reported in several other Chinese cities.
In Tokyo on the same day, more than 2,000 protesters marched to the Chinese embassy, waving flags and chanting in opposition to China’s claim to the uninhabited islands.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern at the Tokyo demonstration, which it said comprised hundreds of right-wing activists, and urged Japan to ensure the safety of its embassy personnel.
Japan also urged China to secure the safety of Japanese nationals and to ensure that economic activities can take place normally after some Japanese-brand stores in Chengdu were damaged by protesters.
Meanwhile, nine Vietnamese fishermen whose vessel vanished when it was released by China after being detained for a month have made contact and are probably back in disputed territory, officials said yesterday.
The men were captured while fishing in the Paracels, an archipelago in the South China Sea claimed by China and Vietnam, and then disappeared last week soon after they were freed by Chinese authorities.
However, the crew has now been reached, said Ngo Duy Muoi, head of the border guard force in central Quang Ngai, where the vessel originates from.
“The captain’s family told us he contacted them briefly on Saturday,” he said.
Muoi said authorities had not heard from the men directly, but added they are believed to have returned to the Paracels.
Thanh Nien newspaper also reported yesterday that the Vietnamese embassy in Beijing had received confirmation from China that the crew had been located.
Questions over the men’s whereabouts were raised last week when they failed to return after their release was announced at an ASEAN defense ministers’ meeting in Hanoi, where the disputed South China Sea areas had been discussed.
Vietnam and China both claim ownership and control of the Paracels, as well as the Spratlys.
Since last year, Vietnam has reported numerous cases of fishing boats and equipment being seized by China, but Vietnamese foreign ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga has said this was the first time fishermen had been lost after being freed.
Taiwan also claims the Paracels and has a claim to the Spratlys, as do the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
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