Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao "strongly urged" Japan to immediately and unconditionally release from custody the captain of a Chinese trawler, threatening further action if Japan refuses. Mr. Wen's comments were the first by a senior Chinese official in what is rapidly becoming the most serious territorial dispute China has faced in a decade. The captain and crew were seized earlier this month by Japanese naval vessels, which claimed that the fishing boat rammed them near several uninhabited islands controlled by Japan. The boat and crew were quickly released but the captain faces charges of obstructing officials from performing their duty and remains in Japanese custody.
China is incensed that Japan would apply its laws to Chinese nationals and argues that the issue is one for diplomacy, not the legal system. Known as Senkaku in Japanese or Diaoyu in Chinese, the islands have been in dispute for decades but Japan has mostly turned back Chinese vessels that approach too closely.
Mr. Wen made his comments Tuesday September 21 night to members of the Chinese-American community in New York, where he is attending a United Nations meeting. The comments were carried Wednesday on the Web site of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
ome analysts say the issue might blow over next Wednesday when Japan must decide whether to formally charge the captain or release him. If he is charged, the emotional issue could boil over in China, where protests have already taken place and Internet forums are full of anti-Japanese rhetoric. (Source: Ian Johnson, New York Times, Sep 23, 2010).