After postponing planned talks with Tokyo on joint energy exploration in the East China Sea, where the Chinese trawler collided with two Japanese coastguard vessels, Beijing scrapped a trip to Japan by a senior lawmaker in protest.

Japan on Tuesday called the situation "extremely regrettable" but China went a step farther, placing the blame squarely on Tokyo and demanding that the arrested skipper, facing up to three years in jail, be freed without delay.

"Japan provoked this serious situation and Japan should take all responsibility," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters, adding it was "imperative" that the captain be released "immediately and safely".

"Taking into consideration all elements, China has decided to postpone the NPC delegation's visit to Japan," she said, referring to the visit by a senior legislator and his delegation, which was to have started on Wednesday.

Japan said the skipper last week rammed two Japanese coastguard patrol vessels intentionally during a high-seas chase near the disputed islands, which are claimed by both countries as well as Taiwan.

Japan on Monday released the 14 crew of the trawler, and allowed the boat to sail back to China, but the act has apparently done little to appease Beijing, incensed over what it reiterated was Japan's "illegal" handling of the matter.

"The Chinese public has expressed its strong indignation over Japan's illegal detention of the Chinese fishing boat," Jiang said.

"This fully embodies the Chinese people's firm determination and resolve to defend China's territory and sovereignty."

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.

Chinese officials have repeatedly summoned Japan's ambassador to vent their fury over the incident, and also sent an inspection ship to the area, which confronted two Japanese survey ships at sea.

Referring to the cancellation of the senior Chinese lawmaker's visit, Japan's top government spokesman Yoshito Sengoku said: "If that is so, it is extremely regrettable."

Sengoku said he would have hoped for a frank exchange between both countries' lawmakers "because we are in this situation".

He reiterated Japan's case that the Chinese skipper rammed the Japanese patrol vessels, adding: "We have to deal with the case in an orderly fashion under domestic law."

The Chinese captain, 41-year-old Zhan Qixiong, is being held on suspicion of obstructing officers on duty, a charge that carries a penalty of up to three years in prison. He has not yet been indicted, the step before a trial starts.

China's state-controlled Global Times said Tuesday in an editorial: "It will be the last straw for Beijing if Japan insists on trying the Chinese captain for his fishing operation off the Diaoyu Islands, in the East China Sea."

"Japan may not have realised how much it has to lose due to its actions."

The island dispute has sparked strong passions with many Chinese on the mainland and beyond. Many see the dispute in light of the wartime history of imperial Japan in Asia before and during World War II.

A Taiwanese boat carrying anti-Japanese protesters which had set sail Monday for the rocky outcrops in the East China Sea was forced to turn back Tuesday by Japanese patrol boats, activists and officials said.

The five people on the fishing vessel, accompanied by Taiwan's coastguard, decided to abort the expedition around 6:00 am (2200 GMT Monday), said the organiser of the trip, the Taipei-based Zhong-Hua Baodiao Association.

"Although we were escorted by vessels from Taiwan's coastguard, they were not able to match Japan's coastguards," the association said in a statement on its website.

Sengoku told reporters that Japan's stance on the islands had been "consistent and appropriate".

"There is no doubt that the Senkaku islands are historically and internationally our inherent territory," the spokesman said.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News