Japan Detains Chinese Fishing Vessel, Escalating Tensions

China's aircraft carrier Liaoning takes part in a military drill of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in the western Pacific Ocean

[People News] After several months of diplomatic stalemate, China–Japan relations have once again fallen into tension due to a maritime law enforcement incident. On the 12th, Japanese authorities confirmed that in Japan’s exclusive economic zone near Nagasaki Prefecture, they detained a Chinese fishing vessel that attempted to flee after being ordered to submit to inspection. The captain was arrested.

According to Japan’s Fisheries Agency, the incident occurred around noon on the 12th. Japanese patrol officers discovered a Chinese trawler named “Qiongdongyu 11998” in waters near the Goto Islands of Nagasaki Prefecture. The vessel was a high-capacity “tiger-net fishing boat.” After Japanese authorities ordered it to stop for inspection, the vessel refused to comply and attempted to flee.

Japanese authorities subsequently intercepted the vessel and arrested the 47-year-old Chinese captain. The remaining 10 crew members on board were also taken in for investigation.

On the 13th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded to the incident, stating that the Chinese Consulate-General in Fukuoka is assisting the relevant Chinese crew members in returning home.

This marks the first time this year that Japan’s Fisheries Agency has detained a foreign fishing vessel, and the first such action taken against a mainland Chinese fishing vessel since 2022. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara emphasized that the government will continue to take “decisive action” and strictly crack down on illegal fishing by foreign vessels in the area. However, Beijing has consistently refused to recognize Japan’s unilateral claim to an exclusive economic zone in these waters.

This maritime clash occurred at a time when China–Japan relations are extremely fragile, and observers expect it may further escalate tensions between the two countries. △