Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tuesday he thinks the unidentified ship that sank in the East China Sea on Saturday after a shootout with Japan Coast Guard patrol ships should be salvaged for investigation purposes if possible.
"I have been told that it is technically possible," Koizumi said. "The area is outside Japan's territorial waters, so we should look into the situation carefully and salvage it if possible."
The ship lies in waters about 90 meters deep. Because the area is within China's exclusive economic zone, Japan needs to discuss any actions in the area with Beijing.