THE DETAINING OF JAPANESE BULK CARRIER Baosteel Emotion by the Shanghai Maritime Court, is the result of two Chinese brothers' winning a civil lawsuit against the Japanese company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.

The story behind this case epitomizes the misery Japanese aggression brought to Chinese people, while the litigation process, which has lasted more than 60 years, points to the difficulty that China's first ship tycoon Chen Shuntong and his son and grandsons have gone through in getting justice delivered.

Chen leased two cargo ships to the Japanese company Daido Shipping Co Ltd in October 1936, which according to the contract acquired the right to use the ships for 12 months.