海角大神

China听stepped up the pressure Friday in its latest territorial spat with Japan, as Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi demanded that Tokyo immediately free the crew of a Chinese fishing boat detained in disputed waters.

Mr. Yang made a 鈥渟olemn representation and protest鈥� about Tuesday鈥檚 seizure, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said, and 鈥渄emanded that Japan unconditionally release and return the entire crew of the fishing boat.鈥� The Chinese boat was seized after it collided with two Japanese patrol boats.

China is Japan鈥檚听largest trade partner and the two countries have made considerable progress in recent years to overcome decades of hostility and mistrust stemming from Japan鈥檚 occupation of China last century.
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But misgivings on both sides persist. And this latest spat over territory illustrates that relations remain tender.

The latest in the fishing boat spat

The Japanese Coast Guard turned the captain over to the prosecutor Thursday, increasing the chances he would be charged with deliberately ramming two Japanese patrol boats. His ship was seized near a chain of tiny uninhabited islands known in China as Diaoyu and in Japan as Senkaku.
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鈥淭his is a criminal case, so we have to implement domestic legislation鈥� a Japanese government official who asked not to be identified said in a telephone interview. 鈥淭he room for maneuver is very limited.鈥�
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At the same time, he added, 鈥渨e have no intention of playing up this event, and Japan is always prepared to make the necessary efforts to maintain stable relations with China.鈥�
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鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Japan鈥檚 tough stance will last,鈥� predicts Huang Dahui, who studies Sino-Japanese relations at Renmin University in Beijing. 鈥淛apan will look at the situation in the light of its overall relationship with China.鈥�

This is not China's only territorial dispute

On Friday the Japanese Defense Ministry issued a report worrying that 鈥淐hina has been intensifying its maritime activities including in waters near Japan.鈥�

China is involved in territorial disputes with a number of its neighbors, including Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. Beijing was angered recently when Hillary Clinton suggested that Washington might mediate some of those disputes, and insisted that China would deal with them only bilaterally.
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China and Taiwan both claim the Diaoyu/Senkaku, an island chain controlled by Japan that straddles rich fishing grounds and possible undersea oilfields.
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Given the disputed ownership, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Thursday, 鈥渢he Japanese side applying domestic law to the Chinese fishing boat operating in this area is absurd, illegal, and invalid.鈥�
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In Tokyo, the government has been growing impatient with what the Coast Guard says is an increasing number of Chinese fishing vessels entering Japanese-claimed waters in recent weeks.
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鈥淲e have been warning the Chinese government for the past two months, but it has never taken the necessary measures to improve the situation鈥� says the Japanese government official. 鈥淲e are very unhappy with that.鈥�

In Beijing, however, the government is showing little sign of backing down. The Foreign Minister told the Japanese ambassador here that 鈥渢he Chinese government is staunch and unwavering in defending its sovereignty over the Diaoyu islands and the rights and interests of China鈥檚 citizens,鈥� the ministry spokesman said.

鈥淛apan should not ignore or underestimate China鈥檚 spirit on this case,鈥� warns Professor Huang. 鈥淐hina will not give in on this issue.鈥�
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