TOKYO — Japan asked China to pay for damage to Japanese patrol boats hit by a Chinese fishing vessel near disputed islands, as simmering tension between the two Asian neighbors showed no signs of easing today.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku’s remarks came a day after Japan’s prime minister rejected China’s demand that Tokyo apologize and offer compensation for the arrest of the Chinese boat captain earlier this month near islands claimed by both countries.
The captain was released Friday and has since returned to China, but the diplomatic back-and-forth since then indicates nationalistic sentiments stirred up by the incident are not dissipating.
“We will ask China to pay for damage incurred to coast guard vessels,” Sengoku told reporters at a morning news conference, saying the request had been relayed to Beijing through diplomatic channels.
The captain’s Sept. 8 arrest after the collision near a chain of islands in the East China Sea has strained ties between China and Japan to their worst point in years.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 09/27/2010