Tokyo urges Beijing to tone down rhetoric, risk of a trade war
Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) – China should avoid fuelling nationalist and anti-Japanese sentiments in its dispute over ownership of a group of islands, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said at a press conference. As he tried to bring the matter within the scope of normal diplomatic relations after a recent escalation in tensions, he insisted that Beijing should settle the matter in ways that do not affect negatively Sino-Japanese trade.
Last Sunday, Beijing suspended high-level meetings with Japan. It also announced countermeasures. Soon afterwards, anti-Japanese protests broke out in major Chinese cities to mark Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931.
China wants the immediate release of the captain of a Chinese trawler who was arrested on 7 September after his ship collided with two Japanese coast guard vessels near the disputed islands of Senkaku (Diaoyu), which lie in rich fishing grounds and near oil and gas fields.
On Sunday, a Japanese court extended his detention until 29 September, when he must be either indicted or released. Japanese authorities said that the law must follow its course. Their Chinese counterparts insist on his immediate and unconditional release.
Sino-Japanese relations were at a low ebb for years and picked up only in recent years. In the first quarter of this year, trade reached 12,600 billion yen (US$ 148 billion), up 34.5 per cent over last year.
Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda warned though, "We need to respond in a level-headed manner to avoid (the row) having any impact” on the two nations' economic ties.
Other Japanese political leaders are ready to take a stand on the issue. Transport minister said he would not meet China’s top tourism official set to travel to Japan this week.
Most experts believe however that the current row will not have an impact on economic ties, which are rooted in interdependence and mutual interests rather than ideology.
In fact, Chinese actions appear marginal and for show. A concert by Japanese pop group Smap set for 9-10 October at the Shanghai Expo might be in jeopardy. Some 80,000 tickets were supposed to be sold, but the Chinese company in charge of sales stopped selling them.
For some observers, Beijing’s complaints are primarily for domestic consumption to appease nationalist groups at home.
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