US urges China-Japan dialogue after boat captain arrest
WASHINGTON — The United States called Tuesday for China and Japan to open a dialogue on their diplomatic rift that escalated after the arrest of a Chinese boat captain, while reaffirming the importance of the US-Japanese alliance.
"On this narrow issue, we hope that would be resolved peacefully through dialogue between China and Japan," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said after the arrest of the Chinese boat captain prompted harsh comments from Beijing.
Crowley also noted that the US-Japanese alliance "is a cornerstone of security and stability across Asia," and said this benefits Japan and "other countries in the region, including China."
Japan on Tuesday called the situation "extremely regrettable" but China went further, placing the blame squarely on Tokyo and demanding that the arrested skipper, facing up to three years in jail, be freed without delay.
China postponed planned talks with Tokyo on joint energy exploration in the East China Sea, where the Chinese trawler collided, and expressed indignation.
"Japan provoked this serious situation and Japan should take all responsibility," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters in Beijing, adding it was "imperative" that the captain be released "immediately and safely."
Japan said the skipper last week rammed two Japanese coastguard patrol vessels intentionally during a high-seas chase near disputed islands, which are claimed by both countries as well as Taiwan.
The uninhabited islands -- called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China -- lie in an area with rich fishing grounds that is believed to contain energy deposits, and which has been a frequent focus of regional tensions.
(AFP)
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