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| Japan suspects that the ship was deliberately rammed into their patrol vessels [AFP] |
China has suspended high-level contacts with Japan in response to the arrest of a Chinese captain for allegedly ramming his boat against Japanese patrol vessels in disputed waters.
The move came after Japan extended the captain's detention, Chinese state media said on Sunday.
"China has already suspended bilateral exchanges at and above the provincial or ministerial levels," the Xinhua news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying.
CCTV, the state broadcaster, said the refusal to release the captain had "already caused serious damage to Sino-Japanese bilateral contacts."
Talks suspended
CCTV also reported that China had suspended talks on aviation issues and postponed a summit on coal.
Zhan Oixiong, the captain, has been held since September 7 when his vessel struck two Japanese coast guard ships.
The incident occurred in the East China Sea, near islands claimed by both countries.
The Diaoyu Islands, called Senkaku by Japan, are also claimed by Taiwan and are surrounded by rich fishing seas, believed to also contain oil and gas resources.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/09/2010919135443339463.html