On September 7, 2010,a bitter diplomatic spat between China and Japan began.Japanese Coast Guard vessels confronted a Chinese fishing boat in the waters near the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. The confrontation led to a collision, with Japanese officials accusing captain Zhan Qixiong of purposefully ramming two Japanese ships. Zhan was arrested and held for nearly two weeks.Beijing considers Japan’s Coast Guard patrols to be illegal, since China claims the disputed islands and surrounding waters as its territory.
