Relations between Japan and China are worsening over the arrest of the captain of a Chinese fishing boat that collided with two Japan Coast Guard patrol boats on Sept. 7 inside Japanese territorial waters of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Both Tokyo and Beijing must prevent nationalistic feelings from boiling over in each country and hurting ties that had been rather smooth recently.
A Sept. 19 Japanese court decision to extend the detention of the captain for another 10 days through Sept. 29 has hardened China's attitude. China suspended ministerial and high-level exchanges with Japan. It also made it clear that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will not meet with Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the United Nations this week.
On the Japanese side, transport and tourism minister Sumio Mabuchi declined a courtesy call from a deputy chief of China's tourism administration. As Mr. Kan said, both sides should handle the situation with a levelheaded manner.