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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/world/asia/north-korea-seized-chinese-fishing-boat.html?_r=0
Just WowNorth Korea Seized Chinese Boat
HONG KONG — China revealed on Sunday that North Korea seized a Chinese fishing boat this month and detained its crewmen, who remain in custody, an episode likely to worsen recent discord between the two.
The vessel’s owner, Yu Xuejun, called the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, on May 10 to seek help, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a brief statement issued through Sina Weibo, the country’s Twitter-like microblog service. Mr. Yu was not on the boat when it was seized.
“The embassy immediately made representations to the consular affairs bureau of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking that North Korea release the vessel and the crew as soon as possible, and ensure the safety of the lives and property of the detained crew, as well as their legitimate rights,” the Chinese ministry statement said.
The statement did not explain why the ministry waited so long to reveal the seizure, which came during a time of tensions with North Korea, a country that depends on Beijing for diplomatic and economic support.
The announcement promptly drew an outcry from Chinese media and citizens online, some of whom have already expressed increasing impatience with North Korea over its nuclear ambitions and threats to the region.
The Chinese media reports said the boat was seized on May 5, with 16 men onboard, and North Korean authorities demanded payment of 600,000 renminbi, equal to about $98,000, to release them and the vessel, apparently on the grounds that it was fishing in waters claimed by North Korea. The deadline for payment was Sunday, The Beijing Times newspaper said.
China has long supported North Korea, despite disagreement over the North’s nuclear activities, and many Chinese experts see the North as a strategic bulwark against potential regional domination by the United States and its allies, South Korea and Japan. But in recent months, undercurrents of discord have seeped into the two countries’ relations.
A version of this article appeared in print on May 20, 20