Beijing: Nearly two weeks after they were seized by unidentified North Koreans in the Yellow Sea, 29 Chinese fishermen along with their three boats have been freed, ending a rare row between the two close allies.
The fishermen and their vessels arrived at a harbour in the Jinzhou district of northeast China’s port city of Dalian last evening.
They were freed following a 13-day detention in North Korea, after China reportedly put heavy pressure on its reclusive ally Pyongyang, which in the recent months has shown signs of defiance against Beijing. This rare rupture in ties took place after Beijing showed its frustration with Pyongyang, denouncing its failed rocket launch followed by stern warnings against its attempts to carry out any nuclear test.
China also warmed up to North Korea’s arch rival South Korea by allowing six North Korean refugees, who took shelter in South Korean consular offices in China, to go to Seoul.
The permission came as a goodwill gesture by China before a meeting between South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao on May 14 on the sidelines of the China-Japan-South Korea trilateral. It was not yet clear whether the abduction of the Chinese fishermen by the North Koreans had anything to do with the changes taking place in China’s longstanding policy of backing Pyongyang.
The abduction of the Chinese fishermen drew strong reactions from the official media here. “China will not allow any misbehaviour by North Korea. There is no special room between China and North Korea. North Korea should respect China’s every concrete interest, especially the lives and property of Chinese citizens,” state- run Global Times said in its editorial today.
“Currently there are rumours about misbehaviour from North Koreans in the border areas between the two countries. China does not seem to be taking a tough attitude toward them. Both should take effective measures to eliminate such rumours,” it said.
“We are worried that North Korea only released the hostages under pressure. China’s interests may still be damaged when it is not supervised enough by Chinese officials and media,” it said. “More details should be disclosed regarding who was really behind the abduction and the conditions of the release,” the editorial said.
Maritime disputes are on the rise between China and other countries, it noted. “Chinese fishermen need to be fully aware of the policies… We wish to see the China-North Korean friendship strengthened. This ties should not only be displayed at a national strategic level, but can also be felt in daily life,” it said. (PTI)