温总理敦促日方立即无条件释放中国船长

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is calling for the immediate and unconditional release of a Chinese captain, whose trawler collided with two Japanese coast guard ships near disputed islands in the East China Sea.

The man is being held by Japanese authorities, who accuse the captain of deliberately colliding with the coast guard vessels.

In the first comments by a senior Chinese leader on the issue, Wen told a meeting of Chinese Americans in New York that if Japan "acts willfully", China will take further action, warning Japan to be prepared for "severe consequences".

Japan responded by saying further dialogue was needed.

I haven't confirmed what exactly the Chinese Premier said and how he said it. But if he were to threaten us , we really need to hold a dialogue on a higher level as soon as possible.

The issue has already strained diplomatic relations between the two countries with Beijing suspending high-level contacts with Japan over the issue as well as China saying Wen would snub Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who is also in New York for a UN summit. Japanese prosecutors have until September 29th to decide whether to press charges against the captain.