Patrol boats leave island

Two Chinese fisheries patrol boats left the waters near the disputed Diaoyu Islands on Wednesday morning.

The boats were at the islands because of a dispute between China and Japan. The row started before the Mid-Autumn Festival when Japan arrested the skipper and crew of a Chinese fishing vessel in the area claimed by both countries. It quickly became one of the worst arguments between the two in recent times. The Chinese have since been released. Meanwhile, China still holds nine Vietnamese fishermen it detained last month after finding them near the disputed Paracel Islands.