Japan has arrested the captain of a Chinese fishing boat that collided with two Japanese coast guard vessels near disputed islets in the East China Sea, causing anger in Beijing and reigniting territorial tensions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a “strong protest” against the captain’s arrest yesterday, with Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue (胡正躍) summoning Japan’s ambassador for the second time in two days, Xinhua news agency said.
Hu “demanded that the Japanese side immediately release the ship and crew members on board and guarantee their safety,” Xinhua reported.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Tokyo has also lodged protests over the incident, but Japan’s top government spokesman called for calm while the prime minister said the matter would be dealt with fairly.
“We will deal with this in a fair manner in line with Japanese laws,” Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan told reporters.
A group of about 30 people carrying Chinese flags held a brief demonstration outside Japan’s embassy in Beijing, demanding Japan “get out” of the islands, but they soon dispersed.
China’s Global Times, a popular tabloid run by the Chinese Communist Party, called in an editorial for both sides to act with extreme caution in handling the incident.
“Japan has perhaps lit a fire which could ultimately seriously damage relations and even force a showdown,” it wrote.
Despite the ongoing spat over the islands and mutual mistrust about each others’ military intentions, the two countries’ ever-deepening economic ties mean their governments are keen to keep relations on an even keel.
The incident took place near a group of East China Sea islets — called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyutai (釣魚台) in Mandarin — over which Tokyo, Beijing and Taipei all claim sovereignty.
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