On the evening of September 21, 2010 local time, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, when meeting the representatives of overseas Chinese, Chinese-funded institutions and Chinese students in New York, said that Diaoyu Islands are sacred territory of China. It is totally illegal and irrational that Japan seized the Chinese fishermen and fishing boat in waters off the Diaoyu Islands and still detains the Chinese captain. It hurts the Chinese captain and his family seriously and has aroused the anger of all the Chinese people at home and abroad. Japan turned a deaf ear to the solemn representations of the Chinese side and the Chinese government has to take the necessary counter-measures. He strongly urges the Japanese side to release the Chinese captain immediately and unconditionally. If Japan acts arbitrarily, China will take further actions and Japan must bear all the consequences.

He pointed out that China-Japan relations are improved and developed thanks to years of efforts by both sides. The good momentum has been seriously damaged, for which Japan is solely responsible. The Japanese government should swiftly correct its mistake and bring the bilateral ties back on track, which complies with the fundamental interest of the two peoples and the trends of peace and cooperation in the world.