Beijing demands apology for 2010 boat-ramming incident

China urged Japan on Wednesday to apologize and compensate Chinese fishermen for the 2010 boat-ramming incident off China's Diaoyu Islands.

The Foreign Ministry made the demand after Japanese news agencies reported that Tokyo was seeking damages against the fishing vessel's captain.

Zhan Qixiong, Chinese captain

The Japanese government submitted the case to a local district court of Naha, Okinawa prefecture, home to the 11th regional coast guard headquarters. Japan is demanding 14.29 million yen ($139,700) from the 44-year-old Chinese skipper, Zhan Qixiong, for repair costs, Japan's Kyodo News said on Wednesday.

Kyodo quoted Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ota as saying that Tokyo will publish the video of the collision with the lawsuit.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the Diaoyu Islands belong to China, and it is Japan that should be providing compensation.

"The boat-ramming incident in 2010 in waters near the Diaoyu Islands was a serious invasion of China's territorial sovereignty by Japan, which damaged Chinese fishermen's legitimate rights," Hua said at a daily news briefing.

Japan's detention of Chinese fishermen and fishing boats, its investigation and any judicial measures are illegal and invalid, Hua added.

"We demand that Japan compensate and apologize to China for this incident. We urge Japan to cease its provocations and admit to, and correct, its errors."

Two Japanese coast guard patrol ships and the Chinese trawler collided on Sept 7, 2010, off the Diaoyu Islands. No injuries were reported, but the fishing boat was then intercepted by Japanese patrol boats.

About Diaoyu Islands dispute

The following day, the Japanese coast guard arrested the trawler's captain over China's protests. Zhan was taken to Ishigaki Island in Japan's Okinawa prefecture on a patrol boat.

The coast guard did not arrest the other 14 crew members, all Chinese, but moved their ship to an area off Ishigaki and kept it there during the captain's questioning.

Gao Hong, an expert on Japanese studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the Japanese government's actions show that Tokyo is not interested in improving relations with Beijing.

"Japanese officials violated Chinese citizens' rights in China's waters. The Japanese then reportedly behaved violently. The Chinese fishing crew is the party that should ask for compensation and apologies," Gao said.

The incident took place nearly four years ago, before Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office, but to reintroduce the case is not good for bilateral ties, he added.

The Diaoyu Islands have been Chinese territory since the early years of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Maps printed in Japan in 1783 and 1785 that marked out the boundary of the Ryukyu Kingdom show that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China.

Xinhua contributed to this story.