Friday, September 24, 2010

To Defuse Raising Tensions, Japan Releases Chinese Captain

The detained Chinese fishing trawler is flanked by two Japanese Coast Guard vessels during an investigation by Japanese authorities near Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture of Japan Sept. 12, 2010. (Xinhua, File Photo)

Amid Tension, Japan Is Releasing Chinese Captain -- New York Times

TOKYO — Japanese authorities said on Friday that they will release the captain of a Chinese trawler whose arrest two weeks ago near islands claimed by China and Japan had caused growing tensions between the two Asian powers.

Japanese prosecutors did not say when they would release the captain, Zhan Qixiong, 41, though Japanese news reports said he could be put on a plane to China later on Friday. Mr. Zhan was detained on Sept. 8 after his boat collided with Japanese Coast Guard vessels in waters near the disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Read more ....

More News On Chinese - Japanese Relations

Japan moves to heal China rift -- Al Jazeera
Japan to release Chinese boat captain -- Washington Post
Japan Releases Chinese Boat Captain -- Wall Street Journal
China to bring back trawler captain by chartered flight: FM spokesperson -- Xinhuanet
Japan Prosecutors to Release Chinese Boat Captain, End Bilateral Dispute -- Bloomberg
Out but not over -- The Economist
Did Japan Cave to China Too Soon? -- Wall Street Journal
Lingering fall-out from China-Japan territory row -- BBC

My Comment:
The Japanese knuckled under. This is a clear diplomatic and propaganda victory for China .... and trust me .... everyone in Asia is looking at this.

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