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[交流] Pyongyang Frees Chinese Fishermen; North Fires Two Missiles

Pyongyang Frees Chinese Fishermen; North Fires Two Missiles



Chinese fishermen seized along with their vessel by North Koreans this month have been freed, according to the boat's owner and Chinese state media, in a case that has tested ties between the Asian allies.



The boat's owner, Yu Xuejun, early on Tuesday posted a message to his account on a popular Chinese social-networking site saying he had received a phone call from the fishing trawler's captain confirming the boat had been released.



A report posted to the website of the People's Daily, the Communist Party's most important mouthpiece, quoted an unnamed official at China's embassy in Pyongyang confirming the detained fishermen had been released. China's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on Tuesday morning.



Mr. Yu said he reported to authorities that the fishermen were captured on May 6 while operating in Chinese waters off China's northeast coast. On Monday, he said Chinese authorities didn't respond to his request for help for more than week after he reported the incident.



The case gained attention over the weekend only after Mr. Yu published details of the incident on his account of Tencent Holdings Ltd.'s 0700.HK -1.68% Weibo microblogging service.



The latest incident comes as tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula. North Korea has launched six missiles over the past three days, including two short-range missiles from its eastern coast into the sea on Monday, South Korea's Defense Ministry said.



North Korea said its launches over the weekend were part of defensive drills. Analysts noted that short-range missile firings are relatively routine for North Korea. The types of projectiles used weren't clear but none of the firings posed a threat to the South or other countries.



Aside from escalating military tensions, impoverished North Korea is widely accused of engaging in a range of illicit activities to raise hard cash, including drug smuggling, currency counterfeiting and arms trafficking.



Mr. Yu said the captors had demanded ransom of 600, 000 yuan ($97, 700) be paid by Monday evening. It is unclear whether ransom was ever paid to the North Korean captors. In a series of posts since Saturday to his Weibo account, Mr. Yu pressed Chinese authorities to better protect Chinese fishermen.



'We just hope the country is able to protect our rights and interests, and lessen the instances of Chinese boats being detained by North Korea in China's territorial waters, ' Mr. Yu wrote.



In May 2012, 29 people on three ships were detained by North Koreans, who demanded 300, 000 yuan for each of the boat's release.



The boats were eventually released nearly two weeks after they were captured. It isn't clear in that case whether China's government agreed to pay ransom. Those cases sparked criticism of what many viewed as a tepid response from the Chinese government.



Widening news of the boat's seizure in recent days sparked growing public frustration inside China with its problematic ally.



'Fatty Kim the Third eats Chinese grain, uses Chinese tools and now comes over to detain Chinese people, ' wrote one user of Sina Corp.'s SINA +3.36% popular Weibo microblogging service.



Internet users have also directed their fury at Beijing for appearing reluctant to respond to the detention of the fishing crew, with some suggesting the seizures might be part of a conspiracy to funnel money to Pyongyang.
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2楼2013-05-24 19:59:12
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3楼2013-05-24 20:00:06
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