Japan Detains Chinese Fishing Vessel, Arrests Captain as Tensions with Beijing Rise

Japanese authorities have detained a Chinese fishing vessel and arrested its captain after the boat allegedly ignored orders to stop for inspection inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), in the first such incident involving a Chinese vessel since 2022.

The Japan Fisheries Agency said on Friday that the 47-year-old Chinese captain was arrested on suspicion of attempting to evade an onboard inspection. The incident occurred on Thursday in waters off Nagasaki Prefecture, about 89.4 nautical miles (165km) south-southwest of Meshima Island, according to reports by Kyodo News.

In a statement, the agency said the vessel failed to comply with an order from fisheries inspectors to stop and instead attempted to flee. The captain was arrested the same day, while 10 other crew members were also on board at the time of the incident.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that the boat was capable of catching large quantities of fish such as mackerel and horse mackerel, raising suspicions that it had entered Japan’s EEZ for illegal fishing activities. Authorities have not disclosed whether the captain admitted to the allegations, citing the ongoing investigation.

Beijing has yet to issue an official response to the detention.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tokyo would “continue to take resolute action in enforcement activities to prevent and deter illegal fishing operations by foreign vessels.”

The incident comes amid strained relations between China and Japan, with diplomatic ties already under pressure over regional security issues, including tensions surrounding Taiwan.

Although Japan has previously detained fishing boats from South Korea and Taiwan, officials confirmed this is the first case involving a Chinese vessel in more than three years, underscoring the sensitivity of the latest development in Tokyo–Beijing relations.