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Shrine Visit Retribution? China Seizes Japanese Cargo Vessel (Over War-Debts)

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/21/2014 19:58 -0400

We noted yesterday, Japan's decision to send an Abe cabinet official to the Yasukuni shrine (home of Class A war criminals) and Abe's sending of an offering, warning it will likely see retaliation from China. We didn't have to wait long. As BBC News reports, China has seized a Japanese cargo ship (over a pre-war debt). With President Obama due to visit in days, it seems the tensions between China and Japan may force his hand to pick sides.

As BBC News reports, China's seizure of a Japanese cargo ship over a pre-war debt could hit business ties, Japan's top government spokesman has warned.

Shanghai Maritime Court said it had seized the Baosteel Emotion, owned by Mitsui OSK Lines, on Saturday.

It said the seizure related to unpaid compensation for two Chinese ships leased in 1936.

The Chinese ships were later used by the Japanese army and sank at sea, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.

"The Japanese government considers the sudden seizure of this company's ship extremely regrettable," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Monday.

"This is likely to have, in general, a detrimental effect on Japanese businesses working in China."

It seems the Japanese shrine visit sparked some more "war" memories for the Chinese...

The owners of the shipping company, identified by Kyodo as Zhongwei Shipping, sought compensation after World War Two and the case was reopened at a Shanghai court in 1988, China's Global Times said.

The court ruled in 2007 that Mitsui had to pay 190 million yuan ($30.5m, £18m) as compensation for the two ships leased to Daido, a firm later part of Mitsui, Global Times and Kyodo said.

Mitsui appealed against the decision, but it was upheld in 2012, Kyodo said.

Kyodo said this appeared to be the first time that a Japanese company asset had been confiscated as war-linked compensation.

...

Japan has always held that the issue of war-related compensation was settled by a 1972 agreement between the two sides when ties were normalised.

But now for the first time, a Chinese court has ignored that agreement - and the Chinese government appears to be giving full support, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo.

It seems China and Japan are testing their relationship with the US...

- advertisements -

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:06 | 4681217 TeamDepends

Honest Abe: A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:31 | 4681274 duo

Hey, Japan attacked Russia unprovoked in 1905 and pretty much sunk their whole navy.

Vlad, there's YOUR excuse.

I guess there's no statute of limitations on this kind of stuff anymore.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 21:22 | 4681374 Stuck on Zero

No statute of limitations? My Great Grand Uncle was shot stone cold dead in Havana in the Spanish American war. I want compensation.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:15 | 4681230 knukles

Hah ha ha ha ha
Poor Obie... They're coming at him from all sides, now
It's tough being the Messiah*

_{*courtesy of the DNC, et al.
PS The Chinee and Vlad are not fucking around.}

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:16 | 4681240 nmewn

Leave Barack alone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM8l3X_7Hkg

_{(I swear it never gets old...lol)}

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 08:33 | 4682123 rbg81

With President Obama due to visit in days, it seems the tensions between China and Japan may force his hand to pick sides.

Obama will do what he always does: stab America's allies in the back. Therefore he will chose China over Japan. For him, it's a slam dunk

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:13 | 4681234 nmewn

His wife and kids were just over there.

What is this, WhiteHouseGetaways.com?

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:14 | 4681236 knukles

Dude, now you're gonna get all sorts of ads for Gay Ukranian Brides on your computer

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:19 | 4681249 nmewn

Wait...did you say gay Ukrainian brides?

Not sure if my heart can stand the strain but if everyone thinks it will help!

Its for a good cause ;-)

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:31 | 4681272 CrazyCooter

Queue the music ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QflC-d2EU5w

Regards,

Cooter

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:23 | 4681258 zstard

Frequent fLiar miles.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:17 | 4681242 Omen IV

OBAMA is a dumb fuck! - east and west they are going to squeeze this arrogant bastard - regional power.......hmmmm

chess is not a game - serious people - dont give 1,800 +++ speeches

now its rope a dope time!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 03:03 | 4681860 HardlyZero

So now he will be caught in the ring between Russia and China for the next few years...wow. Lots of back and forth, and soon Biden is caught in the vortex too. They probably have putting green on the plane and put put to each other across the way.

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 07:25 | 4682022 MillionDollarBoner_

You think they might batter him about the ring...?

He may enjoy that ;o)

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:21 | 4681252 Dr. Engali

I guess the Wookie with all of his charms wasn't as persuasive as Zero and Reggie love had hoped (there's that word again).

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:21 | 4681254 The Persistent ...

Looks like the end game is finally approaching. No matter who the Prez is, we all knew it was coming. The behemoth is going to be brought to its knees sooner or later and i'm better its sooner.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:21 | 4681255 Berspankme

Odumba is so out of his league. A fucking petulant child among men. Such a fucking cunt. He should home and play doctor and nurse with Reggie

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 22:34 | 4681534 Tengri Temujin

What do you expect from affirmative action and Chicago hoodies, NEWTON OR EINSTEIN?

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:22 | 4681256 Winston Churchill

If China nuked Japan would anyone be able to tell the
difference ?

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 08:34 | 4682127 rbg81

Japan has been nuked twice and it hasn't slowed them down much.

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 09:50 | 4682393 Hippocratic Oaf

3 if you count fuckyoushima

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:23 | 4681259 Rican

Enjoy your trip, Barry! (Avoid the fish.)

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:24 | 4681261 Oldrepublic

where will we bury US war criminals?

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:43 | 4681296 rsnoble

That would be an awful lot of wasted space. Maybe a jungle where they will decay fast.

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 02:45 | 4681861 napper

Let's not pollute the environment with so many corpses of US war criminals.

Make some dog food out of them. Keep some for medical research. Powdered bones make good fertilizers.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:32 | 4681268 JuliaS

Quick, send John Kerry there along with some icognito CIA director of operations! Things happenning elsewhere on the planet and we're not there? Are we not the world policeman? Shouldn't we be standing on every corner like a British Bobby minding the business?

Commence twitter "we're all Chinese" or "we're all Japanese" campaign... or both! Let's sanction both nations, until they surrender all their ships and barges to Jerusalem. I mean, why not. What we steal's gonna end up there in some shape or form anyway.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:34 | 4681280 Bastiat

Send Brennan -- with Groucho glasses and a wig.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:36 | 4681285 williambanzai7

Please do not worry...

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:39 | 4681291 Doubleguns

War debt is just a red herring. This is leading up to a Chinese Crimea event. Hide and watch.

Time for BO to go golfing I think.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:47 | 4681304 Winston Churchill

Its always tee time for Obozo.
Good title for a musical,with the 4 horseman as the chorus line.

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 02:46 | 4681862 HardlyZero

Tea time for Bonzo...err...different prez.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:45 | 4681301 countryboy42

Wait, so, now we are going to war with China? This morning it was Ukraine (hey did you know that cloned weapons are made all over the world?) , this afternoon someone used some bleach in Sirya, and Assad was accused of chemical weapons use.

...And don't forget kids, when you see the bright flash, just Duck and Cover. Hide under your desk, huddle up against a wall. It doesn't matter, as long as you have something to think about as you die.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:46 | 4681303 Who was that ma...

China rike eating bowl of chop suey. Half hour rater, hungry for more power

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:50 | 4681311 optimator

Two cargo ships that were later sunk? Y'know who's gonna pay for this, plus interest. The Sinker, the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 23:46 | 4681313 cdude

A prime example of typical ZH "sky is falling" drama. This is really not such a big deal. It is an action against a specific Japanese company, who does business in China. The ships were docked in port in China and the seizeure of said "assets" mandated by a Chinese court.

BFD.... let's keep our freakin' shirts on here.

Update: A lot of negs...no replies.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 20:59 | 4681329 besnook

gotta love the chinese. their negotiating style will never change, whether it is 5th generation san francisco or shanghai.

yankee dog! we take japanese boat! what you do! ha! ha! maybe we take some more! you no fight for yourself! you think you will fight for japan? japan are belong to us! ha! ha! yankee dog! go pee in your bed!

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 21:08 | 4681343 I_Am_

the m.v. BAOSTEEL EMOTION is a chinese ship?

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 21:16 | 4681362 buzzsaw99

whatever happens i sure hope chinese slave labor keeps building doo dads for walfart [/sarc]

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 21:23 | 4681376 The_Prisoner

You mean Filipino slave labour?

http://blogs.barrons.com/emergingmarketsdaily/2014/01/30/em-morning-roun...

But as Hillary put "What difference does it make?"

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 21:52 | 4681437 I Write Code

'scuse me while I go short Honda stock, I guess all the Chinese can drive around in their Red Flag L5's instead.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 22:10 | 4681483 NESD

“it seems the tensions between China and Japan may force his (Obama’s) hand to pick sides”

Are you serious? Obama has had no problem voting present in the past and nothing has changed. Over five years and there is still no presidential decision on Keystone XL. Red lines crossed in Syria, Obamacare deadlines that are not deadlines and the list goes on. I predict another punt.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 22:51 | 4681573 litemine

NESD.......The Control of Canadian Oil if shipped thru a PIPELINE would be less than the American Oil Barrons want. The proper hands are not and will never be greased enough to allow the keystone to be built.

Anyways.... Canada would be better off refining and shipping Alberta's Oil to the east, and using it themselves, cutting out the southern middle man, even if the petro dollar could take another hit.

We don't really need f35's anyways......and we have more Justin Bebers to export.......

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 22:39 | 4681545 robertocarlos

I am wrong, the Japanese don't have any nukes because if there was ever a good reason to use them this is it. Pre-emptive defensive strike. No I'm sayin'.

Tue, 04/22/2014 - 02:50 | 4681864 HardlyZero

Release the Kraken !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sDw4uK2tUs

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 22:48 | 4681560 NOZZLE