China and Japan
China expressed concern over a collision between two Japanese patrol boats and a Chinese fishing boat in waters off the Diaoyu Islands on September 7.
No injuries were reported from the incident. But the fishing boat was intercepted by Japanese patrol boats, and a 41-year-old Chinese captain was arrested on suspicion of "obstructing public duties."
"We have lodged solemn representations with the Japanese side," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu. Jiang said the Diaoyu Islands and adjacent islets have been Chinese territory since ancient times. China urged Japanese patrol boats to refrain from conducting so-called "law enforcement" activities in waters off the islands and from taking actions that would threaten the security of Chinese fishing boats and their crew.
China would closely follow the situation and reserved its right to take further actions, she added.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao and Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue separately summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa to lodge protests.
China and Ukraine
China and Ukraine reached 13 agreements on September 2, the first day of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's visit to China.
During their meeting that day, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Yanukovych agreed to improve the two countries' ties in an all-round way.
Among the 13 agreements, 12 are related to technology, infrastructure and credit cooperation, including programs of cooperation in exploring and using space for peaceful purposes.
The two sides also signed an agreement on securing China's credit support to a 30-km railway project and construction of auxiliary facilities for an airport in Ukraine's capital, Kiev. The railway project, contracted to a Chinese firm, will cost $950 million. Construction will start in 2011 and be complete by 2014.
The two countries also agreed to increase their bialteral trade volume to $10 billion by 2012, about five times that of 2009.
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