Japan's PM urges calm in feud with neighbour

Japan's prime minister yesterday rejected China's demand that Tokyo apologise and compensate for detaining a Chinese fisherman, and said both sides must try and cool down their bitter feud.

The row has bounced back and forth between the two sides with demands for an apology and rejections, illustrating the fragility of ties between Asia's two biggest economies troubled by Chinese memories of wartime occupation, military mistrust and maritime territorial disputes.

Fishing trawler captain Zhan Qixiong was released and arrived back in China on Saturday after his boat collided with Japanese patrol ships on September 7 near disputed islets, known as the Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. His crew had been freed earlier. The waters are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas.

Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan repeated that Tokyo would not respond to Chinese demands for an apology.

"Senkaku is a Japanese territory. From that point of view, apology or compensation is unthinkable," he told reporters. "I have no intention at all of meeting (the demand]." But he also urged a return to calm.

"Both sides should first become calm and (then] deepen mutually beneficial strategic ties," he said.

Mr Kan's government has come under fire from domestic media and ruling as well as opposition lawmakers for "caving in" to Chinese pressure by releasing the captain after China detained four Japanese citizens.