Japan spurns China's demand for apology, compensation over skipper+

TOKYO, Sept. 25 Kyodo -
China on Saturday demanded that Japan apologize and offer compensation for its
detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain over collisions near the disputed
Senkaku Islands, but Japan immediately rejected the call as unfounded.
In a statement released early Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said,
''Japan's detention, investigation or any form of judiciary measures for the
Chinese trawler and fishermen are unlawful and invalid...infringed upon China's
territorial sovereignty...and violated the human rights'' of the Chinese
nationals.
But Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Satoru Sato said in a statement later
in the day that China's claims were ''groundless'' and ''totally
unacceptable.''
The skipper, 41-year-old Zhan Qixiong, arrived early Saturday in Fuzhou in
southern China's Fujian Province on a chartered plane after being detained by
Japanese prosecutors since earlier this month on suspicion of deliberately
causing his vessel to collide with a Japanese patrol boat pursuing his fishing
boat near the islands.
The islands are administered by Japan but are also claimed by Beijing and Taiwan.
Japan's Naha District Public Prosecutors Office decided Friday to release Zhan,
saying it had taken into account the future of Tokyo's relationship with
Beijing.
After the collisions on Sept. 7, Zhan was held along with 14 other Chinese
fishermen.
The 14 were released a week later but Zhan continued to be detained while
Japanese prosecutors carried out investigations.
China had repeatedly demanded his immediate release and protested over his
detention to Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa.
The incident saw bilateral relations deteriorate to their lowest level in
years, with China announcing the suspension of ministerial-level exchanges and
postponing scheduled talks with Japan over an undersea gas bed dispute.
On Thursday, Chinese state media said four Japanese nationals had been detained
in Hebei Province since Monday for questioning over allegations they entered a
military zone without authorization.
The incident has also sparked heated nationalist sentiment in both China and
Japan.
During interviews with the Chinese media after arriving in Fuzhou, Zhan
expressed gratitude toward the Chinese government and people, while insisting
his arrest was illegal and that the chain of disputed islets in the East China
Sea are Chinese territory. The islets are called the Senkaku Islands in Japan
and the Diaoyu in China.
Zhan declined to respond to reporters from Japanese news organizations who
gathered at the airport in Fuzhou.
His release is expected to prompt the Japanese government to seek the lifting
of China's suspension of contacts at the ministerial level and its restrictions
on rare earth mineral exports as well as the immediate release of the four
Japanese nationals in Hebei.
However, some experts said the latest statement by China indicates its measures
could remain in effect for the time being and that the strain in ties will be
prolonged.
At the same time, the statement called for resolving the issue through
dialogue, saying that maintaining a ''mutually beneficial and strategic
relationship'' would be conducive to the fundamental interests of the two
countries.
The captain was arrested on Sept. 8 by the Japan Coast Guard on suspicion of
obstructing Coast Guard members in performing their duties near the Senkaku
Islands.
The captain's release came despite court authorization for the extension of his
detention until Sept. 29.
==Kyodo
2010-09-25 21:21:11


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