Tokyo: Japan's prime minister expressed concern on Friday over China's strengthening military power and expanding maritime activity in Asia, including waters near disputed islands where a ship collision ignited a bitter diplomatic feud.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan's comments came after three Japanese held by China for allegedly entering a restricted military zone returned home — a sign that tension between the two Asian giants was easing.
In his first major policy speech in parliament since surviving a leadership challenge last month, Kan stressed the need for Japan to adopt a more "active" diplomacy and defence policy that can deal with "uncertainty and instability that exist in areas surrounding our country."
Kan urged China — Japan's biggest trading partner — to act as a responsible international community member, calling on both countries to deepen relations and promote economic cooperation to contribute to regional peace.
"The rise of China has been remarkable in recent years, but we are concerned about its strengthening defence capability without transparency and accelerating maritime activities spanning from the Indian Ocean to the East China Sea," he said.
Relations plunged to their lowest level in years in recent weeks following a collision between Japanese and Chinese boats near a string of islands claimed by both countries.
Beijing suspended ministerial-level talks with Tokyo, and numerous anti-Japanese protests laid bare decades-old anger in China toward Japanese wartime aggression, as experts wondered how far the freeze would go. But a thaw began earlier this week with Beijing lifting a de facto ban on rare earth materials needed for advanced manufacturing and Thursday's release of three of four Japanese detained for questioning after allegedly entering a restricted military zone.
The three men, employees of a Japanese construction company, arrived back in Tokyo on Friday afternoon.
House arrest
Tokyo was pressing China to release the fourth man who remained under house arrest and was being investigated for illegally videotaping military targets, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Still, tensions remain and there were no plans yet for Kan to meet his counterpart, Wen Jiabao, at a summit in Brussels early next week.
"I expect China's appropriate role and actions as a responsible member of the international community. If problems occur between Japan and China, it is important for us neighbours to respond calmly," Kan said.
