Japan Coast Guard official admits China video leak

TOKYO (Reuters) - A member of Japan's Coast Guard admitted on Wednesday putting a video of a collision between a Chinese trawler and Japanese patrol boats on the Internet , a development that could hurt efforts to mend bilateral ties.

Relations between Asia's biggest economies have chilled since September, when Japan detained the Chinese skipper of the fishing boat after it crashed into Coast Guard ships near disputed isles in the East China Sea.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshito Sengoku, said the leak by a government employee, if true, would be a grave matter, while Prime Minister Naoto Kan conceded he shares responsibility for the incident.

"No matter who did this, it is regrettable that information that was not supposed to become public has been disclosed," Kan told a parliament panel.

"Various government branches have been involved in this. But as the person in charge of the cabinet, I would naturally be responsible as well."

Media reports said the coastguard, who leaked the 44-minute video onto the YouTube website, was aged 43. No details were given about his job.

Beijing last week expressed concern to Japan about the video, which appears to show the Chinese boat being steered into the patrol vessels and could harden Japanese public opinion against China.

Asked what Japan would do if China demands an apology for the video leak, Sengoku brushed aside such a possibility.

"Why would China ask for apology? That's totally unthinkable," he told a news conference.