The 2010 Senkaku boat collision incident (or the ''Minjinyu 5179'' incident) occurred on the morning of September 7, 2010, when a Chinese trawler (''Minjinyu 5179'') operating in

disputed waters Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...

collided with

Japanese Coast Guard The is the coast guard of Japan. The Japan Coast Guard consists of about 13,700 personnel and is responsible for the protection of the coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. ...

(JCG) patrol boats near the

Senkaku Islands The are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan. They are located northeast of Taiwan, east of China, west of Okinawa Island, and north of the southwestern end of the Ryukyu Islands. They are known in main ...

. There were several JCG boats involved, including ''Yonakuni'' and ''Mizuki'', which collided with ''Minjinyu 5179'', plus ''Hateruma'' and other JCG boats. The collision and Japan's subsequent detention of the skipper, Zhan Qixiong (), resulted in a major diplomatic dispute between

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. When China's repeated demands for the release of the skipper were refused and the detention of the skipper was extended for ten more days, the Chinese government cancelled official meetings of the ministerial level and above. Though denied by the Chinese government, it was reported that China halted exports of

rare earth mineral A rare-earth mineral contains one or more rare-earth elements as major metal constituents. Rare-earth minerals are usually found in association with alkaline to peralkaline igneous complexes, in pegmatites associated with alkaline magmas and in o ...

s to Japan. The detained Chinese crew members were released without charge and were allowed to return home. In China the overall event is perceived as a diplomatic victory, while in Japan the Japanese government's "weak-kneed" handling of the issue was criticized.

Background

The Senkaku islands are claimed by Japan, the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

. In 2008 a sports fishing boat from

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

, ''Lien Ho'', was rammed and sunk by JCG patrol ships which led to an official apology and monetary compensation of NT$10 million paid by Japan. Multiple events involving JCG and fishing boats from nearby Chinese provinces and Taiwan have occurred since 1972.

Details of the incident

According to the JCG, the patrol boat ''Mizuki'' of the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters encountered ''Minjinyu 5179'' at about 10:15 ( JST) on September 7, 2010. ''Mizuki'' ordered ''Minjinyu 5179'' to stop for inspection since ''Minjinyu 5179'' was traveling north-west of the Senkaku Islands, which is outside the agreed area for Chinese fishing, and within disputed Japanese territorial waters. ''Minjinyu 5179'' refused the order and attempted to flee from the scene. During the chase and interception, ''Minjinyu 5179'' collided with JCG patrol vessels. On September 8, 2010, JCG boarded the Chinese trawler and arrested its captain for obstruction of performance of public duty and

illegal fishing Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries. Illegal fishing takes pl ...

. The trawler, the captain, and 14 crew members, were transported to

Ishigaki Island , also known as ''Ishigakijima'', is a Japanese island south-west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group, behind Iriomote Island. It is located approximately south-west of Okinawa Hontō. It is within the ...

of Japan for detention. An investigator told the press that he smelled alcohol on the arrested captain but apparently no alcohol test results were ever released. In response to the arrest, the Chinese government made a series of diplomatic protests, demanding the immediate release of the trawler and all its crew. China summoned

Uichiro Niwa is a Japanese diplomat and businessman who served as the Ambassador of Japan to the People's Republic of China and president and chairman of Itochu Corporation. Chairman of The Society of Global Business (SGB) Business career Niwa joined Itoch ...

, the Japanese ambassador to China in Beijing, six times, each time with an official of higher diplomatic rank, on one occasion after midnight. The trawler and 14 of the crew members (but not the captain, Zhan) were released after the sixth summons on September 13, 2010. The captain of the trawler remained in Japanese detention and was finally released on September 24, 2010.

Chronology of events

Anti-Chinese government rally on 6 November 2010 at Hibiya 01

* September 7, 2010: The Chinese fishing trawler ''Minjinyu 5179'' collides with two Japanese Coast Guard patrol boats in disputed waters near the Senkaku Islands. The collisions occur between 10am and 11am (''Yonakuni'' around 10:16am, ''Mizuki'' around 10:56am.), after the Japanese Coast Guard ordered the trawler to leave the area. After the collisions, Japanese Coast Guard sailors boarded the Chinese vessel and arrested the captain, Zhan Qixiong. On the same day, Song Tao, Chinese associate minister of foreign affairs, called in Japan's ambassador to China

and requested Japan to stop its interception operation. * September 9:

Jiang Yu Jiang Yu (; born 1964) is the current Chinese ambassadress to Romania since 2019. From 2006 to 2012 she was also Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. Biography A native of Beijing, she has been wo ...

, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said that China has sent law enforcement boats of the Fishery Administration to the incident waters. On the same day,

Hu Zhengyue Hu Zhengyue (, born 1953 in Zhejiang ProvinceHu Zhengyue
" ''

, the assistant to the minister of foreign affairs called in Japan's ambassador to China

. Hu urged Japan immediately release the trawler together with seamen on board and guarantee their safety and integrity. The Ishigaki Maritime Safety Agency charges Captain Zhan Qixiong with interference with a public servant in the execution of his or her duties and send him to the Ishigaki branch of the District Public Prosecutor's Office in Naha. * September 12: In the early morning,

State Councilor A state councillor () is a high-ranking position within the State Council, the executive organ of the Chinese government (comparable to a cabinet). It ranks immediately below the Vice-Premiers and above the ministers of various departments. Si ...

Dai Bingguo Dai Bingguo (; born March 31, 1941) is a Chinese politician and professional diplomat. Since 2008, Dai has emerged as one of the foremost and highest-ranking figures of Chinese foreign policy in the Hu Jintao administration. A graduate of Sichuan ...

called in Japan's ambassador to China

. Dai warned the Japanese government: "Don't make false judgement on the current situation, make wise political decisions, and release China's fishermen and trawler immediately." * September 13: Because of the detention of the Chinese captain, China's embassy told the Affairs Bureau of the

House of Representatives (Japan) The is the lower house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors is the upper house. The composition of the House is established by and of the Constitution of Japan. The House of Representatives has 465 members, elected for a ...

that Vice Chairman of the

Standing Committee of the National People's Congress The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPCSC) is the permanent body of the National People's Congress (NPC) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which is the highest organ of state po ...

Li Jianguo Li Jianguo (; born April 1946) is a retired Chinese politician who served as a member of the 18th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, Vice-Chairman of the National People's Congress, and Chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Uni ...

decided to delay his 5-day visit to Japan. The trawler and 14 crew members were released and returned to China. Captain Qixiong remains detained in Naha. * September 16:

Seiji Maehara is a Japanese politician and was the leader of the Democratic Party from 1 September 2017 until its dissolution later that month.

, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, goes to Ishigaki Maritime Safety Agency and inspects the patrol ships damaged in the incident. * September 20: China detains four Japanese employees of Fujita Corporation for allegedly filming military targets. * September 22: China's premier

Wen Jiabao Wen Jiabao (born 15 September 1942) is a retired Chinese politician who served as the Premier of the State Council from 2003 to 2013. In his capacity as head of government, Wen was regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy ...

delivered a strong-worded address: "I strongly urge Japan to release Zhan Qixiong immediately and unconditionally" when he attended the general assembly of the United Nations in New York. He said Japan had turned a deaf ear to China's repeated serious requests. "If Japan persists willfully and arbitrarily, China will take further actions. Japan shall take full responsibilities for all dire consequences incurred." This is the highest level of protests made by Chinese officials after the collision incident. * September 24: Japan releases Qixiong, stating that keeping the captain in custody would not be appropriate and was having a considerable impact on Sino-Japan relations. * September 25: China demands an apology and compensation from Japan for holding the Chinese boat captain. Japan rejects this demand. * September 27: Japan said it would counter-claim against China for damage to its patrol boats in the collision. * October 6: Joint US/Japan drill is planned on defending Okinawa in December but Japanese Prime Minister Kan Naoto told the parliament that the joint military exercise does not have the islands specifically in mind. * October 9: All of the Fujita employees were released by China. * October 19: In the regular press conference held by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, a reporter asked: According to Japanese news sources, the Foreign Minister of Japan

Seiji Maehara is a Japanese politician and was the leader of the Democratic Party from 1 September 2017 until its dissolution later that month.

claimed that China's reaction to the collision is " hysterical". How does China respond to Mr. Seiji's comment? The spokesman

Ma Zhaoxu Ma Zhaoxu (also spelled as Ma Chao-hsü; ; born 1 September 1963) is a Chinese diplomat who is currently the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. He previously served as the Chinese Am ...

said: "We are deeply astonished that such a comment is made by a foreign minister of some nation." * November 4: Leaked video footage of the collision appears on YouTube. * November 9: Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office of Japan launches an investigation against Google over the video leak. * November 15: Japanese police and prosecutors announced that they would not arrest anyone for the YouTube leak.

Response in Japan

Government

The Japanese government claims that there is no territorial dispute over the Senkaku islands. On September 14, 2010, then-

Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism The is a member of the Cabinet of Japan and is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The minister is also a statutory member of the National Security Council, and is nominated by the Prime M ...

Seiji Maehara is a Japanese politician and was the leader of the Democratic Party from 1 September 2017 until its dissolution later that month.

repeatedly asserted this standpoint. The government decided to set aside 53.3 billion yen for the following measures to reduce dependence on Chinese mineral resources: * Development of rare earth minerals abroad 19.7 * Recycling,

urban mining An urban mine is the stockpile of rare metals in the discarded WEEE, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) of a society. Urban mining is the process of recovering these rare metals through mechanical and chemical treatments. The name was ...

and developing alternative technology by the government and the private sector 1.6 * Developing offshore oil and gas in Japan 16.3 * Pre-feasibility study on

methane hydrate Methane clathrate (CH4·5.75H2O) or (8CH4·46H2O), also called methane hydrate, hydromethane, methane ice, fire ice, natural gas hydrate, or gas hydrate, is a solid clathrate compound (more specifically, a clathrate hydrate) in which a large amo ...

deposits 8.9 * Study on cobalt rich crust and other undersea reserves 6.8 (Cobalt rich crusts are undersea mineral deposits that contain

manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

cobalt Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, pr ...

nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...

and

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

, as well as rare earths such as

neodymium Neodymium is a chemical element with the symbol Nd and atomic number 60. It is the fourth member of the lanthanide series and is considered to be one of the rare-earth metals. It is a hard, slightly malleable, silvery metal that quickly tarnishes i ...

and

dysprosium Dysprosium is the chemical element with the symbol Dy and atomic number 66. It is a rare-earth element in the lanthanide series with a metallic silver luster. Dysprosium is never found in nature as a free element, though, like other lanthanides, it ...

Business

The business community thinks that this incident has exposed China's

country risk Country risk refers to the risk of investing or lending in a country, arising from possible changes in the business environment that may adversely affect operating profits or the value of assets in the country. For example, financial factors such ...

s, called in Japan. Japanese companies proactively invest into rare earth mining in countries other than China. Examples include

Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide ''sogo shosha'' general trading companies, and is a diversified corporation. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is a member company of the Sumitomo Group. It is listed on three Japanese stock exchanges ( ...

and

Toshiba , commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure system ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

Marubeni (, OSE: 8002, NSE: 8002) is a ''sōgō shōsha'' (general trading company) headquartered in Nihonbashi, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the largest ''sogo shosha'' and has leading market shares in cereal and paper pulp trading as well as a st ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Sojitz is a ''sogo shosha'' (general trading company) based in Tokyo, Japan. It is engaged in a wide range of businesses globally, including buying, selling, importing, and exporting goods, manufacturing and selling products, providing services, and pl ...

and

Toyota Tsusho is a sōgō shōsha (trading company), a member of the Toyota Group. Toyota Tsusho has a worldwide presence through its many subsidiaries and operating divisions, including over 150 offices, and 900 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world. ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, Sojitsu in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and Sumitomo in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Many companies have shifted the focus of investment away from China to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

(the top recipient of Japanese investment) and the

ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...

nations.

Protests

On October 2, 2010, large-scale anti-Chinese protests occurred in Tokyo and six other cities in Japan. On November 6, an anti-Chinese demonstration was held in

Hibiya Park Hibiya Park (日比谷公園 ''Hibiya Kōen'') is a park in Chiyoda City, Tokyo, Japan. It covers an area of 161,636.66 m2 (40 acres) between the east gardens of the Imperial Palace to the north, the Shinbashi district to the southeast and the Ka ...

Response in China

Mainland China

Beijing

* September 8, 2010, mainland Chinese non-governmental fisherman groups took to the streets of

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

in protest, including a major protest outside the Japanese embassy. Chinese patriotism and anti-Japanese sentiment were evident amongst protestors who waved Chinese flags and sang the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

while holding placards demanding that the Japanese withdraw from the islands. A letter of protest was left with Japanese embassy staff along with an ancient Chinese styled copper sheet used to send off a dead person's spirit, as a death wish. * On September 18, dozens of individuals wearing the increasing popular "Oppose Japan" shirts held a protest around the Japanese embassy, demanding Japanese withdrawal from the islands and waving maps of China that included the islands as Chinese territories and chanted 'China forever' (lit. "China ten thousand years"/中国万岁/中國萬歲). The protesters posed a much larger danger to the embassy and local police were reinforced to 2–3 times the previous levels. Requests by the police, who were in riot gear, for the protesters to depart were largely unheeded. The embassy instead locked down and police closed off neighbouring streets to limit the increase of protesters and the possibility of chaos.

Tianjin

* On September 12, 2010 a Japanese private school in

Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...

, China, was vandalised prompting police to increase police presence in Japanese schools, as well as cultural facilities, throughout China. Schools in Tianjin and Beijing (two neighbouring cities) were suspended until September 18.

Shanghai

* Protests lasted for much of the period September 8–18, 2010 outside the Japanese consulate in Shanghai, several signed petitions and letters of protest were submitted to consulate staff.

Other places in mainland China

* Notable protests took place throughout the rest of China requiring extra police deployment and provisional security measures around Japanese businesses or cultural centres. Additionally, due to the large participation in protests by high school and university students, most schools arranged for mandatory extra Saturday lessons to ensure students were not on the streets protesting. Cities with protesters in excess of 3000 and as high as 10,000 included: Chongqing, Shenyang, Changsha, Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Fujian, Mianyang, and Deyang.

Hong Kong

* September 13, 2010,

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

fishermen protest outside the Japanese consulate to China in

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

, Hong Kong. Protestors burned Japanese flags and chanted slogans, particularly ''Japan get out of Diaoyu Islands!''. In a more official manner representatives from Hong Kong's political parties spoke to consulate officials requesting a swift release of the detained fishermen. * On September 18, the consulate was once again surrounded and protesters wished to pass a notice of protest, however as it was a Saturday, the majority of the consular staff were not present and so the protesters did not receive a response. The protesters then turned to burning the objects in protest. In the northern

Sha Tin Sha Tin, also spelt Shatin, is a neighbourhood along Shing Mun River in the eastern New Territories, Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District. Sha Tin is one of the neighbourhoods of the Sha Tin New Town project. The ne ...

district citizens gathered and burned Japanese flags and products too.

Republic of China (Taiwan)

* On September 14, 2010, a rally was held in front of the Japanese Interchange Association in Taipei. The protesters threw fish and burned Japanese flags to voice their anger.

Response in other countries

United States

On September 23, 2010,

United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

told Japanese

Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

Seiji Maehara is a Japanese politician and was the leader of the Democratic Party from 1 September 2017 until its dissolution later that month.

that Senkaku and nearby waters are covered by the

Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan The , more commonly known as the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty in English and as the or just in Japanese, is a treaty that permits the presence of U.S. military bases on Japanese soil, and commits the two nations to defend each other if one or th ...

, which obligates the United States to defend Japanese territory from attacks by third-party countries, and maintained that USA does not have a position regarding the sovereignty of the islands. At a press conference held on the same day,

United States Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The s ...

Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush an ...

said that in the event of military conflict over the Senkaku islands, "Washington would honor its military commitment to intervene". A reporter posed the same question to clarify an earlier Kyodo report that "US changed its position", similar statements were made at a US State Department Press Conference a month previously on August 16, 2010: "The U.S. position on this issue is longstanding and has not changed. The United States does not take a position on the question of the ultimate sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands. We expect the claimants to resolve this issue through peaceful means among themselves. But Article 5 of the 1960 U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security states that the treaty applies to the territories under the administration of Japan. There's no change. That (Kyodo) report is incorrect." At the press conference on September 23, 2010,

Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Assistant may refer to: * Assistant (by Speaktoit), a virtual assistant app for smartphones * Assistant (software), a software tool to assist in computer configuration * Google Assistant, a virtual assistant by Google * ''The Assistant'' (TV seri ...

Philip J. Crowley Philip J. "P.J." Crowley (born July 28, 1951) is the former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, having been sworn into office on May 26, 2009. He resigned on March 13, 2011, following comments he made about the treatmen ...

stated in response to a question whether Senkaku islands are covered by the security treaty that "We do believe that because the Senkaku Islands are under Japanese jurisdiction, that it is covered by the U.S.-Japan security treaty. That said, we also stress that we don't take a position on the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands, but recognize current Japanese jurisdiction stemming back to the reversion of Okinawa to Japan."

Video of incident

Japanese conservative holds a placard on anti-Democratic Party of Japan 01

Internal circulation

The Japanese government was unwilling to release the videos, originally stating that the videos may constitute evidence in a future court case. Trying to avoid further provoking China was another reason cited for not releasing the videos. Upon repeated demands from legislators in the Diet from some members of various parties (DPJ and LDP included), a viewing was finally arranged on November 1, 2010. During the viewing, only an edited version of 6'50" duration was seen.

The leak

On November 4, 2010, video footage of the collisions taken by the Japan Coast Guard was leaked on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

, and authorities later confirmed authenticity of the video clips. The leaked clips totaled 44 minutes, but were taken down about ten hours later with the original poster sengoku38's account deleted. However, the original video is said to run more than two hours. This is supported by the fact that in some of the videos other crew members were also holding video cameras doing recordings. It was later revealed that the leak was done by a Japan Coast Guard Navigator from the

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

Coast Guard Office, . He first sent a

SD memory card Secure Digital, officially abbreviated as SD, is a proprietary non-volatile flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between SanDisk ...

with a copy of the footage of the incident to the offices of

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

in Japan, then when CNN did not post the contents of the memory card he uploaded the video to YouTube.

Reactions to the leak and the video clips

The Japanese government views the leak as a breach of confidentiality and security. Contrary to

Naoto Kan is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from June 2010 to September 2011. Kan was the first Prime Minister since the resignation of Junichiro Koizumi in 2006 to serve for m ...

government's claim/fear that releasing the video might upset China, the Chinese government does not seem to mind the leak, stating that "The so-called video can neither change the facts nor cover up Japan's crime." A few hours later, China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei said, "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." Meanwhile, both Japanese civilians and Chinese civilians and media in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan welcomed the leak citing their right to know. Each group viewed the content of the video as presenting evidence favorable to their own cause in the dispute. Japanese claim the videos show Minjinyu 5179 rammed into JCG boats Yonakuni and Mizuki. Chinese claim that the two JCG boats cut in front of the Chinese trawler abruptly and are equally responsible for the collision, citing the much smaller size and slower speed of the Minjinyu 5179 and the wake of the JCG boats left in front of Minjinyu 5179. Although YouTube is blocked inside

mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

, the videos were quickly reproduced on many Chinese websites.

Links to the leaked video clips

*1. *2. *3. *4. *5. , *6.

Aftermath

According to the ''

Asahi Shimbun is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and ...

'', since returning to China government authorities have confined Zhan Qixiong to his home. An ''Asahi'' reporter who attempted to interview Qixiong at his home in Jinjiang on September 5, 2011 was turned away by Chinese police. Local residents confirmed to the reporter that Qixiong was living at the residence but was not allowed to leave except in rare instances. Two holes in the bow of ''Minjinyu 5179'', apparently caused by the collisions, have been repaired since the boat returned to China, but the boat has not been on any further fishing expeditions. Local Jinjiang fishermen told the ''Asahi'' reporter that they have mainly stayed away from the Senkaku Islands since the incident, but would go back, "as long as there were fish in the area."()

Background

Details of the incident

Chronology of events

Response in Japan

Government

Business

Protests

Response in China

Mainland China

Beijing

Tianjin

Shanghai

Other places in mainland China

Hong Kong

Republic of China (Taiwan)

Response in other countries

United States

Video of incident

Internal circulation

The leak

Reactions to the leak and the video clips

Links to the leaked video clips

Aftermath

See also