Japan Will Release Chinese Boat Captain

The biggest Sino-Japanese row in years looks to be coming to an end. Japan will release Chinese fishing boat captain Zhan Qixiong after two weeks in detention, the BBC reports. Zhan was detained by Japanese authorities on suspicion of ramming two patrol vessels near disputed islands in the East China Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits. China reacted angrily to the arrest, calling it "illegal and invalid."

Zhan's detention was viewed by Chinese officials as a tit-for-tat move following their arrest of four Japanese men who had allegedly been illegally filming in a Chinese military area. Tension between the two countries prompted US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to urge both parties yesterday to settle the issue before it had a long-term impact on the region. Read the full article.