Leaked boat collision video may inflame anti-Japan sentiment in China

BEIJING -- Leaked video footage of a collision between a Chinese fishing boat and two Japan Coast Guard vessels off the disputed Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture could inflame fresh anti-Japan sentiment in China.

Leaked footage was repeatedly posted on Chinese websites and could be seen as of the night of Nov. 5 -- the day after the leak. Chinese authorities do not appear to view the content of the video footage as a major problem.

However, footage showing a crewmember of one of the Coast Guard vessels ordering the Chinese fishing boat to get out of Japan's territorial waters could provoke the Chinese public. Phoenix TV, a Hong Kong-based broadcaster, gave more air time to the footage of Coast Guard officers warning the Chinese vessel than to scenes of the actual collisions.

When China Central Television aired the leaked footage on the night of Nov. 5, a commentator said, "It doesn't matter whether the Chinese fishing boat crashed into the Japanese patrol boat or the Japanese ship rammed into the Chinese vessel. The collision scene is situated in Chinese waters."

China could use the leak of the footage to its advantage in diplomacy toward Japan. After Tokyo released the original video footage to leading members of the budget committees of both houses of the Diet, Ma Zhaoxu, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, criticized Japan's response.

"Japan's attempt to place the blame on China will never succeed," he said on Nov. 1.

After the footage leaked onto the Internet, China asked Japan through diplomatic channels to confirm whether the footage is genuine. Beijing then criticized Japan for chilling bilateral relations by leaking the video footage.

Chinese President Hu Jintao has not yet decided whether to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held in Yokohama later this month or to hold summit talks with Prime Minister Naoto Kan, according to a Chinese government official.

Beijing will make a final decision possibly early next week after closely analyzing trends in domestic public opinion and Japan's response to the incident, according to informed sources.