02/13/2026, 07:3002/13/2026, 07:30
Japan has seized a Chinese fishing boat off its coast and arrested the captain. The Chinese man is said to have refused to stop in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Japanese media reported, citing the fisheries authority. The incident off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture came amid strained relations between Japan and neighboring China. It was the first time since 2022 that Japan had detained a Chinese fishing boat, it was said.
The captain is accused of evading an on-board inspection by a Japanese fisheries official about 170 kilometers southwest of the island of Meshima, it was said. The fisheries authority uses such checks to combat illegal fishing in the waters around Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently said she wanted to keep dialogue channels with China open despite the current strained relations. Last November, shortly after taking office, she clashed with the leadership in Beijing when she said a Chinese attack on the democratic island republic of Taiwan would represent a “life-threatening situation” for Japan, which could lead to a military response. (sda/dpa)