Japan on Saturday described as “unacceptable” the reported “request” by China for an apology and compensation for the detention of a fishing boat captain and 14 fishermen, all Chinese nationals.
While the captain was released on Friday, the others were allowed to go home over 10 days earlier. They were “arrested” when their fishing boat “collided” with Japanese Coast Guard vessels off the Diaoyu Islands (known as Senkaku in Japan) in the East China Sea on September 7.
While China described the detention as “illegal”, Japan reaffirmed its control over the islands and the adjacent territorial waters.
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A Japanese spokesman, Hidenobu Sobashima, told The Hindu from Tokyo on Saturday that China's “request” was “groundless”.
He said the 15 Chinese nationals were detained for “obstructing” the performance of “official duty” by the Japanese Coast Guard. The Senkaku islands “belong to Japan historically and on the basis of international law” and Tokyo was in “effective control” of the relevant maritime zone.
“There is no issue to be resolved” with China, said Mr. Sobashima. And, the case was “examined strictly … in accordance with Japanese law”.
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Speaking earlier on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the prosecutors “fully took into account the nature of the incident” of “collision” between the Chinese fishing boat and Japan's Coast Guard patrol vessel. The prosecutors “solemnly followed [Japan's] domestic laws” before releasing the fishing boat captain, said Mr. Kan.
Japan's resort to its “domestic law” in this matter was criticised by Tang Jiaxuan, China's former State Counsellor and former Foreign Minister, at the inaugural Singapore Global Dialogue here on Friday. Mr. Tang defended China's right to respond suitably. Beijing had earlier described the relevant maritime zone as China's “inherent territory since ancient times”.