China fishermen detained by NKorean boat released
May 21, 2012, 1:41 AM
BEIJING (AP) – The Chinese Embassy in North Korea says Chinese fishermen detained there after their boats were hijacked have been released.
Chinese media said last week that a North Korean boat hijacked three boats with 29 Chinese fishermen on board on May 8. The media did not say who the captors were but said they demanded $190,000 for the fishermen’s release.
A statement on the Chinese Embassy website Sunday said that vessels and crew have been freed and are on their way back to China.
It did not mention if a payment was made. No other details were provided.
It was unclear if a territorial dispute or piracy was behind the incident involving boats from the two communist-led nations. China is the North’s biggest diplomatic ally and source of economic assistance.
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