Apparently, China is not very happy that an official Japanese Coast Guard video of the September incident that is now on YouTube, and as far as the Chinese are concerned the video reinforces their claim that Japan was wrong.
"I would like to reiterate that the Japanese patrol boats had disturbed, driven away, intercepted (and) surrounded the Chinese fishing boat, which led to the collision," spokesman Hong Lei said.I agree completely with the last statement, but I think it is difficult for any impartial audience to watch the video and not deem the actions of the Chinese fishing Captain as criminal. Ramming is still an act of violence at sea, and is actually the oldest military tactic to sink ships at sea. In ships of steel there is a perception that ramming is a non-lethal mode of attack, although I would argue we are one major incident away from that perception being thrown out in the court of public opinion.
Their action was illegal in itself, he said when asked to comment on the release and distribution of the collision video on the Internet, according to a Foreign Ministry press release.
Earlier on Nov 2, Tokyo showed some 30 lawmakers from the budget committees of the lower and upper houses a six-minute and 50-second segment taken from the original 44-minute video taped by the Japanese coastguard during the incident in the East China Sea.
Wang Shaopu, a Shanghai-based scholar with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences said in a recent interview that, although the leak of the video cannot change the fact of Japan's illegal actions, the so-called evidence would do no good to repairing the relations.
Moreover, it can only arouse anti-China feelings of some Japanese people, he said.
Grab some popcorn and enjoy the main event - China vs Japan off Senkaku Island parts 1-6.
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Video #1 shows a Japanese Coast Guard maneuvering around a Chinese fishing vessel.
Video #2 shows the Chinese fishing vessel hauling in fishing nets. The purpose for this would be for the Chinese fishing boat to demonstrate itself to be a vessel engaged in fishing, which would give it right of way over other powered vessels.
Video #3 is more video of the Chinese fishing vessel engaged in fishing activities in territorial waters claimed by Japan.
Video #4 shows the Japanese Coast Guard vessel circling the Chinese fishing boat. The Chinese fishing boat can be seen manuevering into a turn with the Japanese Coast Guard vessel and ramming the stern of the Japanese Coast Guard vessel.
Video #5 takes place on a second Japanese Coast Guard vessel responding to the Chinese fishing boat after the first ramming incident, and in this video the second Japanese Coast Guard vessel is also rammed by the same Chinese fishing boat.
Video #6 shows the second Japanese Coast Guard vessel being rammed by the Chinese fishing boat from the perspective of the first Japanese Coast Guard that was rammed.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has seen his popularity drop to 35 percent from 53 percent a month ago according to a recent poll conducted by the Yomiuri newspaper. Given how the Japanese Prime Minister capitulated to the demands of China following the actions by the Chinese fishing boat Captain to the Japanese Coast Guard, it isn't hard to understand why. It will be interesting to see what impact these videos have on Japan-China relations, if any.
Japan has begun a Criminal Investigation of the video leaked to YouTube. Personally, I find the videos almost as entertaining as Whale Wars, except the consequences of this activity is quite a bit more serious than the survival of a few hundred sea living mammals.
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