Zhan Qixiong

Zhan Qixiong (詹其雄) (born in 1969) is a fisherman from Shenhu Town, Jinjiang, Fujian, China. He was the captain of "Minjinyu 5179" (闽晋渔5179号) that was involved in the 2010 Diaoyu Islands boat collision incident that happened on September 7, 2010.

The 2010 Diaoyu Islands Boat Collision Incident
On September 7, 2010, Zhan Qixiong and 14 fellow seamen were conducting fishing operations in the waters around the Huangweiyu Island (黄尾屿) of the Diaoyu Islands (钓鱼岛及其附属岛屿), a group of islands disputed between China and Japan, both of which claim its sovereignty. His trawler was driven and intercepted by patrol boats (e.g., PL63 Yonakuni) that belong to the Japan Coast Guard. Around 10:15am, "PL63 Yonakuni" collided with "Minjinyu 5179". Two other Japanese patrol boats were around. Around 1:00pm, 20 or so law enforcement personel from Japanese patrol boats boarded "Minjinyu 5179". They detained the boat and Zhan Qixiong, 14 seamen on board after an inspection because they claimed that "Minjinyu 5179" was suspected to have violated Japan's "domestic" "Fishing Law". After the collision, China communicated with Japan through diplomatic channels for many times. China requested that Japan stop interception operations, release the boat and seamen on board unconditionally, and guarantee the safety of Chinese posenels and the integrity of China's properties. The China's Embassy to Japan sent officers to Naha, Okinawa to see Zhan Qixiong and other seamen under detention. On September 10, Japan's Ishigaki summary court of the Okinawa county allowed a 10-day custody of Zhan Qixiong. On September 13, Japan released "Minjinyu 5179" and 14 seamen except Zhan Qixiong. On September 19, despite repeated diplomatic protests and requests, Japan's Ishigaki summary court "allowed" an 10-day extension to the custody, which extends the latest release date to September 29. The bilateral relationship deteriorates further. China escalated the protests and counter measures. China's premier Wen Jiabao delivered a strong-worded address: "I strongly urge Japan to release Zhan Qixiong unconditionally" when he attended the general assembly of the United Nations in U.S.A. "If Japan persists willfully and arbitrarily, China will take further actions. Japan shall take full responsibilities for all dire consequences incurred." On the afternoon of Friday, September 25, Japan's Naha local prosecutor's office announced the release decision. The spokesman of the prosecutor's office claimed that: "It's China's boat that clashed towards Japanese boats. However, since Zhan Qixiong didn't plan beforehand and we take the impact on my (Japanese) fellow countrymen and Japan-China relation into considerations, we decided not to bring a prosecution. But we reserve the right to raise criminal charges against Zhan Qixiong later." On the same night, the joint commission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture hired a charter flight and escorted Zhan Qixiong back home from Naha, Japan. On the early morning of September 25, Zhanqi Xiong arrived in Fuzhou, China. He was received by the assistant to the minister of foreign affairs, Hu Zhengyue (胡正跃) and associate governor of Fujian, Hong Jiexue (洪捷序) at the Fuzhou Changle International Airport. He also reunited with his wife Chen Tingting and his son.

On January 21, 2011, the local prosecutor's office of Naha decided to "dismiss the case". On September 24, 2010, China repeated that any judicial procedure that the Japanese have gone through and imposed on captain Zhan Qixiong is illegal and thus invalid.

Refused to Acknowledge His "Guilt" and Maintained that the Diaoyu Islands Is China's Territory
Zhan Qixiong insisted that he was innocent and it's legal for him to fish in the waters around the Diaoyu Islands when he was in custody in Japan. The Japanese continuously asked him to acknowledge his "fault" and that he entered Japanese "territorial waters", any of which was firmly refused by him. For many times, the Japanese warned him that if he didn't acknowledge his "guilt", he might be "sentenced" to up to 3 years in prison and "fined" 500 thousand yens. He was also forced to keep awake for dozens of hours. ; Zhan Qixiong replied: "If I had acknowledged being "guilty", I would have become a traitor for all ages of the Chinese people." After returning to Fuzhou, Zhan Qixiong said "Japan's arrest is illegal. The Diaoyu Islands is Chinese territory. I support (the Chinese) government's standpoint." He also said: The Diaoyu Islands belong to China. I shall continue to fish there whenever it's convenient for me.

Returning Home
Zhao Qixiong received a comprehensive physical examination at a sanatorium in Fuzhou. Three days later, on September 27, he returned to his hometown Shenhu Town and was warned welcomed by residents. He reunited with his family members including his mother.

Unfortunately, Zhao Qixiong's 85-year-old grandmother suffered from an acute disease and passed away on September 8, after hearing his custody by Japan. Zhan Qixiong was unable to attend his grandmother's funeral because of being detained in Ishigaki Island, Japan.

Relevant Wiki Entries

 * 2010 Diaoyu Islands boat collision incident
 * Diaoyu Islands dispute‎