China to seek 'early, proper' solution with Russia on detained Chinese ships

BEIJING - China here on Saturday voiced the will to maintain close contacts with Russia for an early and proper solution of the dispute on the detained Chinese fishing ships, which left a fisherman missing.

Such events are "sudden and individual" cases, and China hopes the two sides can solve them while bearing China-Russia friendship in mind, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei when commenting on a relevant question.

According to the Chinese Consulate in Vladivostok, Russia's Far-East region, two Chinese fishing ships from China's eastern Shandong province were recently seized by the Russian side respectively.

Media reports said that a Russian coast guard vessel fired shots to one of the two Chinese fishing ships that had been fishing in Russia's exclusive economic zone. A Chinese fisherman went missing after the boat he was aboard collided with a Russian ship that chased the Chinese one.

China had lodged representation over Russia's improper actions, Hong said.

"China hopes peoples of the two countries can view the event in an objective and calm way," he said.

China, Hong said, is working on the consultation with Russia to set up an emergency response and cooperation mechanism, so as to prevent similar events from reoccurring and avoid such incidents to affect the overall situation of bilateral ties.