China Claims Victory over Japan

TOKYO - The flare-up between China and Japan over the arrest and dramatic release of a Chinese fishing-boat captain detained near disputed islands in the East China Sea symbolizes the rise and fall of Asia's two most powerful countries.

Chinese fishing boat captain Zhan Qixiong, 41, arrived at an airport in Fuzhou City of Fujian province, his birthplace, on September 25, and descended the stairs of a Chinese government-chartered airplane with both hands raised in the air making V signs. He became a national hero in the Chinese media, and his release was lauded as a significant victory for Chinese diplomacy as Japan bowed to Beijing's relentless demands to end his detention.