China premier threatens Japan over boat dispute

BEIJING (AP) - China’s premier threatened action against Japan if Tokyo does not immediately release a ship captain detained in his first comments amid a growing fight over disputed islands.

Wen Jiabao’s remarks Tuesday night in New York were the first by a top Chinese leader on the issue that has led Beijing to suspend ministerial-level contacts with Tokyo. China also has said Wen would not meet with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan during U.N. meetings in New York this week.

In comments carried on the website of China’s Foreign Ministry, Wen laid the blame for the dispute entirely at Japan’s door.

Tokyo "bears full responsibility for the situation, and it will bear all consequences," he said to a gathering of overseas Chinese.

China-Japan relations are at their worst in half a decade, after Japan arrested the Chinese captain of a fishing boat that collided two weeks ago with Japanese coast guard vessels near islands in the East China Sea claimed by both nations. Japan extended his detention Sunday, and China responded by suspending contacts.

The dispute over the islands, known as Senkaku by Japan and Diaoyu or Diaoyutai in Chinese, comes as an increasingly confident China - its economy booming and military expanding - asserts its presence in the region.

A Japanese government spokesman made a conciliatory gesture Wednesday morning, but it was not clear of he was aware of Wen’s comments at the time.

"If possible, it would be good to quickly hold high-level talks, including broad, strategic discussions," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku told reporters, saying that the countries should continue to strengthen their ties despite the dispute.

The telephone at China’s Foreign Ministry rang unanswered Wednesday, a national holiday in China.

On Tuesday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu explained that Wen would not be meeting Japan’s Kan in New York because "The atmosphere is obviously not suitable for such a meeting."