Foreign and Military Affairs
China voices strong protest against Japan
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-08 14:16
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BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Ministry Wednesday lodged strong protest against Japan over the detention of a Chinese fishing boat near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.
By the order of the Chinese authorities, Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue summoned Japanese ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa Wednesday to lodge the protest.
Hu demanded that the Japanese side immediately release the ship and crew members on board and guarantee their safety.
On Tuesday evening, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao summoned Japanese ambassador Uichiro Niwa and lodged solemn representations on Japan's interception of the Chinese fishing boat.
Japan's Coast Guard arrested the captain of the Chinese fishing boat early Wednesday despite China's representations.
Chinese ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua also lodged solumn representations to the Japanese side. The Chinese embassy in Japan has sent personnel to visit the Chinese fishermen being held at Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture in Japan.
Two Japanese patrol boats collided with the Chinese fishing boat in waters off the Diaoyu islands Tuesday. No injuries were reported from the collision, but then the fishing boat was intercepted by Japanese patrol boats.
Song urged Japanese patrol boats to stop their illegal interception of Chinese fishing boats.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu Tuesday had expressed grave concern over the incident.
"The Diaoyu islands and its adjacent islets have been Chinese territory since ancient times," Jiang said at a regular press conference when asked to comment on the collision.
"We demand 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 their crew," said Jiang.
"We will closely follow the situation and reserve our right to take further actions," Jiang said.
According to Japanese media, the captain was arrested on suspicion of "obstructing public duties" in connection with collisions with Coast Guard patrol boats.
The trawler captain, a 41-year-old Chinese national, "will be taken to the prosecutors or police nearby and will be (questioned) under Japanese procedures," Kyodo News quoted a senior government official as saying.
