China formally apologized to Japan for sending a nuclear submarine into Japanese waters, telling Tokyo the vessel had entered by mistake and that Beijing remained committed to a partnership with its neighbor. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi confirmed the apology was sufficient and said he would still pursue a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao at an upcoming summit in Santiago, Chile.
The apology was delivered in Beijing by Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei to Japan's ambassador. China's foreign ministry acknowledged that diplomatic channels had been used to address the matter but offered no further details.
The submarine had spent roughly two hours near a contested gas field before Japanese destroyers and a patrol aircraft tracked it for two days as it moved toward Chinese waters. It later returned to a naval base near Qingdao.
Tensions between the two governments have been rising over historical grievances, including Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni shrine, which China cites as an obstacle to high-level talks. Trade ties remain significant: Japan's exports to China rose 24.1 percent to 3.8 trillion yen in the first half of the year. Japan's trade minister also hinted that economic aid to China could be reduced in response to the submarine incident.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in November 2004, in its own words.