Illegal detention of Chinese trawler's captain harms Chinese public's trust in Japan

Observers of Sino-Japanese relations said Monday the prolonged detention of a Chinese trawler captain "severely harms" Chinese people's trust in Japan and undermines the "sound interactions" the two countries have achieved in recent years.

China has already adopted a series of countermeasures and "follow-up" measures are possible, experts said, warning that Japan should seriously consider the possible consequences of the continued detention of the skipper.

Zhao Lei, associate professor at the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, told Xinhua Japan, China's important neighbor and a leading power, is doing something that damages the strategic mutual trust that was gradually building up between the two nations.

Japan has "shifted its strategic focus to Asia" and its future development needs China's support, Zhao said, adding that the incident will harm Japan's own interests and "do no good" for its long-term development.

"Trust between the two nations should be based on Japan's respect for China's core interests," he said.

Dr. Xu Jin from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), a key government think tank, said Japan applying its domestic laws to the incident in the sea area around the Diaoyu Islands "not only severely infringes Chinese sovereignty but also reduces the Chinese public's trust in Japan."

Source:Xinhua
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