Japan, China remain at loggerheads over detention of Chinese skipper+

TOKYO, Sept. 21 Kyodo -
Japan and China remained at loggerheads Tuesday over a row sparked by recent
collisions involving a Chinese fishing boat and Japan Coast Guard vessels off
the disputed Senkaku Islands, with some Japanese officials joining their
Chinese counterparts in canceling scheduled meetings, despite Tokyo's call for
calm.
''It is necessary to deal (with the issue) in a levelheaded manner based on the
viewpoint of strengthening (our) strategic and mutually beneficial relations,''
Prime Minister Naoto Kan told reporters, as China stepped up its protests over
Tokyo's continued detention of the skipper of the fishing boat by suspending
ministerial and higher-level exchanges.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku also said in a news conference that
both Japan and China ''should not arouse extreme nationalism.''
''We will use various channels to call on China to resolve this issue without
escalating it further from the standpoint of forging strategic, mutually
beneficial relations, and peace and prosperity in East Asia and the
Asia-Pacific region,'' Sengoku said.
''Facing such difficult times, it is necessary to make use of various exchanges
and opportunities to seek the understanding (of China),'' he said.
Despite the central government's call for calm, some Japanese officials opted
to cancel their China-related schedules because of the bilateral row. Among
them, Land, Transport, Infrastructure and Tourism Minister Sumio Mabuchi has
said he will not meet a deputy chief of China's tourism administration.
The diplomatic spat stems from the arrest of the captain of the Chinese fishing
boat Sept. 8 by the Japan Coast Guard for allegedly causing his vessel to
collide a day earlier with one of the Coast Guard patrol boats near the
disputed Senkaku Islands. The arrest sparked protests from China, which has
repeatedly called for the captain's immediate release.
Sengoku said Tokyo will try to ''convince (China) to understand how Japan's
judicial system works,'' but has ruled out for now releasing evidence such as
video footage of the collisions while investigations are ongoing, despite
domestic calls that Japan should make the proof public to corroborate its claim
that the Chinese boat was at fault.
Bearing in mind that the government cannot interfere in investigations, Sengoku
said, ''Before the investigations have concluded, it is impossible to disclose
the evidence.''
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, in a separate news conference, stressed the
need to relay the ''real situation'' to China.
''I have doubts whether the Chinese government and people are properly informed
about the fact that it was the Chinese that collided with our (boats),''
Kitazawa said.
China has hardened its stance since a Japanese court on Sunday allowed
prosecutors to extend their detention of the captain for another 10 days,
suspending ministerial and higher-level exchanges with Japan as well as
bilateral negotiations on increasing the number of air routes between the two
nations, said Xinhua News Agency quoting the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Late Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu called on Japan
again to ''immediately and unconditionally'' release the skipper.
Japan maintains that the skipper's case is being handled based on Japanese laws
and has repeatedly called for calm.
To date, Japan has not been formally informed by China about the latter's
suspension of ministerial talks between the two nations, said Sengoku.
Among the repercussions of worsening bilateral relations -- or what some
consider retaliation for Sunday's court decision -- was China's cancellation of
a visit by a group of 1,000 young Japanese to the Shanghai World Expo.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also indicated Tuesday that Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao will not hold talks with Prime Minister Naoto Kan when they attend U.N.
gatherings in New York this week.
On the Japanese side, Japanese pop group SMAP's concerts in Shanghai in October
were postponed out of consideration for the safety of the audience, the group's
agent, Johnny & Associates, said.
Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara has also decided not to fly to China although he
had considered such a trip next month. Taking a swipe at China, Ishihara said,
''Even if they ask me to come, I will not go.''
Meanwhile, Mabuchi said he will not meet with the deputy chief, who was
scheduled to pay a courtesy call on him Wednesday on the sidelines of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's tourism ministers' meeting beginning
the same day in Nara.
According to the Japanese Tourism Agency, Japanese authorities informed China
on Monday that Mabuchi would decline the courtesy call.
Mabuchi also said his ministry will continue working on bilateral air route
negotiations as he has not been informed by China about a halt in such talks.
But Sengoku downplayed Mabuchi's move, saying it was ''not a countermeasure to
China.''
Most Japanese government officials continued to call for calm, with Finance
Minister Yoshihiko Noda saying in a news conference, ''We need to respond in a
levelheaded manner to avoid (the row from) having any impact'' on the nations'
economic ties.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akihiro Ohata told reporters, ''I believe
we can overcome (this issue) if both countries deal with it in a calm manner,''
adding he will watch developments in the hope that negotiations over a
trilateral free trade agreement between Japan, China and South Korea will not
be affected.
==Kyodo
2010-09-22 00:05:18