Tue, September 21, 2010
China's government cancels high-level talks with Japan, following Japan's announcement that it will hold a Chinese fishing boat captain for another ten days.
China's government cancels high-level talks with Japan.
The move is the latest in a continuing dispute between the two Asian countries since Japan detained a Chinese boat crew but still held onto its captain.
In Beijing, security has been tight around the Japanese embassy since the incident.
Chinese officials have said Japan's actions have severely hurt relations between the two countries - and have warned of 'strong countermeasures' if the captain is not released.
But a Japan expert at Peking University's School of International Relations believes China's measures would stay at a diplomatic level.
(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) JAPAN EXPERT AT PEKING UNIVERSITY'S SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, LIANG YUNXIANG, SAYING:
"From the perspective of China and Japan's governments, and I don't mean the public, no matter how big the Diaoyu islands problem is, I think one consideration is that their economic relationship won't be fundamentally damaged. Another factor is that by no means should there be military conflict. I think there is a common understanding on this."
Protests have been held outside Japan's embassy and consulates in China - amid public outrage toward Japan.
China's warning comes after a Japanese court extended the detention of Chinese captain Zhan Qixiong.
Qixiong and his 14 crew members were detained after colliding with Japanese coast guard ships in disputed territory on September 7.
The captain's detention is set to continue for at least ten more days.
Since the incident, 'Diaoyu islands' and 'Zhan Qixiong' have become the most popular searches within the Chinese internet community.
(Reuters)
