Beijing: Tensions mounted between China
and Japan today as the Foreign Ministry summoned Tokyo`s
Ambassador here and lodged a protest over the "interception of
Chinese fishing boats" by Japan`s patrol vessels off the
disputed Diaoyu islands.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao summoned
Japanese ambassador Niwa Uichiro and lodged solemn
representations on Japan`s interception of Chinese fishing
boats, state run Xinhua news agency reported.
Two Japanese patrol boats collided with a Chinese
fishing boat in waters off the Diaoyu islands earlier in the
day, the agency reported.
"Song urged the Japanese patrol boats to stop their
illegal interception against Chinese fishing boats," it said.
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang
Yu expressed grave concern over the incident saying the Diaoyu
islands and its adjacent islets had been Chinese territory
since ancient times.
"We have lodged solemn representations with the
Japanese side," she told a media briefing here replying to a
question on the collision, which happened earlier today.
No injuries were reported from the incident.
China urged Japanese patrol boats against any
"so-called law enforcement activities" in waters off the
Diaoyu islands and to refrain from taking any actions that
would threaten the security of Chinese fishing boats and their
crew, Jiang said.
"We will closely follow the situation and reserve our
right to take further action," she said.
PTI
