【英语国际】撞船事件撞伤中日关系

A collision between a Chinese fishing vessel and Japanese coast guard boats near a chain of disputed islands in the East China Sea sparked an exchange of diplomatic protests between the two countries, marking the latest in a series of maritime tiffs stoking territorial tension among China and its neighbors.

The Chinese boat crashed into two Japanese patrol boats after it failed to heed authorities' warnings to leave Japanese waters north of the islands, according to reports from the Japanese foreign ministry.

Both countries claim authority over the uninhabited lands, known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands and in China as Diaoyu. The tiny archipelago is located between Taiwan and Okinawa in southern Japan, and is under Japanese control, though China and Taiwan also claim possession of the territory.

Japan arrested the captain of the Chinese fishing boat early Wednesday, despite demands from Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao that Japan stop 'illegal interception' of Chinese boats, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

China's government summoned the Japanese ambassador in Beijing, Uichiro Niwa, for a second time on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after it lodged its first formal protest.

Tokyo lodged its own complaint with China's ambassador to Japan, Cheng Yonghua, by phone on Tuesday, according to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chinese captain was being questioned on suspicion of deliberately steering the fishing boat into one of the Japanese patrol boats, according to Japanese media reports. The vessel and its crew were moved to an area off Ishigaki island while the captain was questioned, the reports said.

China's Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue, meeting with Mr. Niwa on Wednesday, demanded the ship and its crew members be immediately released, Xinhua reported. In Beijing, there was a small protest Wednesday in front of the Japanese Embassy, likely held with the approval of local authorities, the Associated Press reported.

The actions come as a rift grows between the two countries over the islands. Earlier this year, Japan filed formal complaints with China following incidents in which a Chinese helicopter involved in military exercises near Japanese waters nearly hit a Japanese naval vessel on two separate occasions. Tokyo filed a complaint to Beijing in May, after a Chinese ship chased a Japanese coast guard vessel that Tokyo says was conducting marine surveys within the Japanese zone.

The maritime spat also comes on the heels of jabs between the two economic powerhouses over business issues. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, during a visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, suggested a recent wave of labor disputes in China was caused by relatively low pay for workers at Japanese factories. Mr. Okada shot back, warning that China risks losing foreign investments unless it introduces more transparency and consistency into its business rules, including its legal framework to deal with labor issues.

Regarding the past run-ins, China maintains it behaved appropriately and has reiterated its claim to the archipelago.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku advised the government to proceed with cool heads.

'We will handle the matter firmly in accordance with the law,' he said, according to Japanese wire service Kyodo News. 'It is important that in Japan we not get overly excited.'

China has sparred with other nations, including South Korea and Vietnam, over territorial claims. The tensions spotlight mounting concerns over China's expanding military capability. Mr. Okada, Japan's foreign minister, has made pointed remarks to Beijing officials in recent months regarding China's growing nuclear arsenal and military might.

Those worries underscore the disconnect in Japan-China relations, with security tensions persisting even as economic ties strengthen.

中国一艘渔船与日本海岸警卫队巡逻船在东海钓鱼岛附近相撞，引发了中日两国相互间的外交抗议，这是加剧中国与其邻国领土争端紧张气氛的一系列海事纠纷中的最新一起。

根据日本外务省报告，这艘中国渔船没有听从日本海上保安厅命其离开钓鱼岛以北日本海域的警告，此后与日本两艘巡逻船接连相撞。

中日两国都声明拥有这座无人居住岛屿的主权，在日本该岛被称为尖阁列岛（Senkaku Islands），中国称之为钓鱼岛。这个小群岛位于台湾和日本南部冲绳之间，由日本控制，但中国大陆和台湾均声明拥有主权。

据新华社报导，周三早上日本逮捕了这艘中国渔船的船长，尽管中国外交部副部长宋涛要求日本停止非法拦截中国船只的行动。

中国政府周三第二次约见日本驻华大使丹羽宇一郎，距中国首次正式发出抗议不到24小时。

据日本外务省说，日本政府周二通过电话向中国驻日本大使程永华提出了抗议。

据日本媒体报导，这名中国船长目前因涉嫌故意驾驶渔船与日本一艘巡逻船相撞而正在受到调查讯问，报导说，这艘渔船及船员已被转移到石垣岛以外区域，而这名船长正在接受讯问。

新华社报导，中国外交部部长助理胡正跃周三会见日本驻华大使丹羽宇一郎，要求日方立即放人放船。美联社报导，周三在北京，日本使馆前出现小规模游行，这可能得到了地方当局的批准。

这些行动正值中日两国就钓鱼岛问题的分歧日益加剧之时。今年早些时候，中国一架在日本海域附近参与军事演习的直升飞机分别两次险些撞到一艘日本海军军舰，事后日本向中国提出严正交涉。5月，东京又向北京提出交涉，起因是中国船只追逐一艘东京称正在日本领海内进行海上调查任务的日本海岸护卫舰。

另外，此次海事纠纷之前中日两个经济大国刚刚就商业问题互相指责。中国国务院总理温家宝对访问中国的日本外务大臣冈田克也(Katsuya Okada)表示，中国最近发生的一轮劳资纠纷是由于日本企业支付工人较低的工资造成的。冈田克也则反击警告说，中国可能会失去外商投资，除非其商业规则更具透明度和连贯性，其中包括建立处理劳资问题的法律框架。

关于两国过去发生的冲突，中国坚持认为自己行为得当，并且重申钓鱼岛属于中国。

日本内阁官房长官仙谷由人(Yoshito Sengoku)建议日本政府对此事冷静处理。

据日本的中文新闻网共同网(Kyodo News)报道，仙谷由人表示，我们将根据法律严肃处理，日本不应对此过于激动，这一点很重要。

中国就领土主权问题与韩国和越南等其它国家进行过争论。这些紧张局势凸显了人们对中国不断增强的军事能力的担忧。日本外务大臣冈田克也近几月内就中国日益增长的核武库和军事能力向北京官员发表了言辞犀利的讲话。

这些忧虑凸显了日中关系的裂痕，虽然两国经济关系有所加强，但是安全紧张局势持续存在。