Japan warned of strong response

China suspends exchanges, halts talks on flights in latest protest

BEIJING - China warned of tough countermeasures after a Japanese court on Sunday extended the detention of a Chinese trawler captain, illegally held in Japan after collisions in waters off China's Diaoyu Islands on Sept 7.

"China demands that Japan immediately release the captain without any preconditions," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a press release, repeating that China viewed the detention as illegal and invalid.