Tokyo: Japan on Friday was investigating whether online video clips that appeared to show a Chinese fishing boat colliding with Japanese patrol vessels were authentic, a development that could snarl efforts to mend ties.
Ties between Asia's biggest economies have chilled since September, when Japan detained the Chinese skipper of the boat which crashed into its ships near disputed isles in the East China Sea, the site of vast potential gas and oil reserves.
Beijing expressed concern to Japan about the video and the Chinese vice foreign minister warned that Tokyo should "avoid any obstruction" if it wants to improve strained relations.
The video is yet another headache for Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan's struggling government. It could, if genuine, harden Japanese public opinion against China by appearing to show the Chinese seaman, who was later freed, was at fault, and raises doubts about the government's handling of confidential data.
Kan has faced heavy criticism domestically for freeing the captain and tensions remain high, clouding the prospects for bilateral talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao at a Nov. 13-14 Asia-Pacific leadership summit.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit this week to a disputed island north of Japan has also chilled Japan-Russia relations, and added to Kan's list of problems.
