U.S. hails release of Chinese captain as 'right decision'+

NEW YORK, Sept. 25 Kyodo -
The United States on Friday welcomed Japan's decision to release a Chinese
fishing boat captain involved in ship collisions near the disputed Senkaku
Islands, saying the move will ease tension between Japan and China.
''We think this is the right decision,'' State Department spokesman Philip
Crowley told a press conference in New York, adding, ''It's how mature states
resolve things through diplomacy.''
''We believe that this will significantly reduce the existing tension. We think
it was a proper decision for Japan to make,'' he said.
The move by the Japanese government is ''in the interest of the two countries
and the interest of the region,'' Crowley said.
The captain was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of deliberately
causing his vessel to collide with a Japanese Coast Guard ship near the
Japan-administered islands, which are also claimed by China and Taiwan.
China had demanded the captain's immediate and unconditional release,
escalating tensions between the two countries with cancellations of travel,
concerts and other cultural and governmental exchanges.
==Kyodo
2010-09-25 21:23:06


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