Chinese PM threatens ‘further action’ against Japan if sea captain is not released

Wen has insisted that Japan bore full responsibility for the situation.

He demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the captain, in order to bring bilateral relations between China and Japan back on track.

China has warned it would not meet Japanese leaders at a UN summit in New York.

The Chinese foreign ministry said yesterday that a meeting between Wen and his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan on the sidelines of the summit would be inappropriate.

"The atmosphere is obviously not suitable for such a meeting," a spokesman added.

The Chinese premier's comments were his first on the issue that had also prompted Beijing to suspend government-level contacts with Japan.

Wen insisted that Tokyo "bears full responsibility for the situation, and it will bear all consequences".

Meanwhile Japan's chief cabinet secretary told reporters that the two nations should continue to strengthen their ties despite the row.

"If possible, it would be good to quickly hold high-level talks, including broad, strategic discussions," Yoshito Sengoku told reporters.

Japan had warned China that both nations must avoid stirring up "extreme nationalism" and it wanted to use all possible channels to avoid any further escalation.

The dispute began two weeks ago when a Chinese fishing boat collided with two Japanese patrol ships near uninhabited islands in the East China Sea which both countries claimed, as did Taiwan.

The islands, which lie north of Taiwan and south of Japan's Okinawa prefecture, had rich fishing grounds and might have oil and gas deposits.