FACT: Chinese Trawler DID Ram the Japanese Coast Guard Vessel

The recent footage of the Senkaku Comrade Ramboat Incident leaked by a Coast Guard Officer clearly shows two collisions.  The first one t-boned the back end of one JCG vessel whilst the second broadsides another.  That's two deliberate assaults on two different JCG vessels by a Chinese trawler.  Not convinced? Foriegner in Formosa has compiled a simple case study of one of the assaults here complete with reference to international maritime law.

Since the Chinese Captain's fault is clear for all to see (at least in my interpretation of video evidence) it now begs lots of questions:

• Why really did the Japanese Government 'facilitate' the release of the Captain?
• Was China's unofficial Rare Earth embargo on exports to Japan related to the Captain's detention?
• Are Chinese trawlers being used by the Chinese government for 'black-ops', data gathering or to test the resolve of the JCG? (It seems likely that other maritime nations probably do the same so this is not a condemnation but rather an open question of fact)
• Is this pattern of behaviour being repeated anywhere else? eg. South China Sea, Taiwan Strait
• What could be the motivation of the Chinese Captain to deliberately steer his boat at the JCG vessels other than patriotic reclamation of disputed territory?

Suggestions / answers welcome.