Foreign and Military Affairs

Diaoyu incident 'could harm ties'

By Bao Daozu (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-10 06:43

Zhan Qixiong, captain of the Chinese fishing boat, is transferred to prosecutors for questioning by the Japan Coast Guard on the southern Japanese island of Ishigaki on Thursday. [Reuters]

BEIJING - China warned Japan on Thursday that their relationship could suffer if Tokyo mishandled the dispute over a Chinese fishing boat seized by the Japanese coast guard in waters off China's Diaoyu Islands.

"The Diaoyu Islands are China's inseparable territory, and Japan applying its domestic law to the Chinese fishing boat operating in this area is absurd, illegal and invalid," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a regular news conference. "China will never accept that," she stressed.

Jiang said China had also sent "a fishery law enforcement ship" to the area "to safeguard order and protect the safety of fishermen and their assets". She did not elaborate.

The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) on Thursday handed over 41-year-old Chinese captain Zhan Qixiong to prosecutors who will decide whether to charge him, spokesman Masahiro Ichijo said.

The captain has been in custody since his arrest on Wednesday, after two Japanese patrol boats intercepted his boat near the islands on Tuesday. No one was injured.

The captain was arrested on suspicion of "obstructing officers on duty", and faces a possible jail sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen ($6,200).

But the JCG also said the captain could be released in a couple of days if he acknowledged the allegation and paid the fine.

Japanese officials were also questioning the ship's 14 crew members who have been kept on the boat because they did not have visas, the JCG said.

The Chinese media reported that Zhan's grandmother had died of illness resulting from stress after learning of his arrest.

Jiang said that territorial disputes were highly sensitive and improper handling would seriously affect the "larger interests of China-Japan relations".

She urged Japan to unconditionally release the boat and its crew members to avoid any further escalation of tensions.

"We hope that the Japanese side will recognize the seriousness and gravity of the situation," Jiang said.

Since Tuesday, China has twice summoned the Japanese ambassador to demand the release of the boat's captain and other crew members.

Zhou Yongsheng, professor at China Foreign Affairs University, said it was the first time that Japan said it would handle issues related to the Diaoyu Islands by applying its domestic law.

This indicated Japan had taken a tougher stance on the issue, he said, adding that Tokyo lacked foresight in dealing with China.

Xinhua, Reuters and AP contributed to this story.