Japanseized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its skipper, authorities stated Friday, an incident that would worsen an already tense relationship between the Asian giants.
The episode on Thursday off southern Japan got here three months after Prime MinisterSanae Takaichisuggested that Japan would intervene militarily if Beijing sought to takeTaiwanby power.
Takaichi stated Monday that underneath her management Japan which hosts some 60,000US militarypersonnel would bolster its defences and”steadfastly protect” its territory.
Chinaswiftly reacted to the seizure, the Japanese fisheries’ company first since 2022 of a Chinese fishing boat, by urging Japan to guard the rights of Chinese crew.
“It is hoped Japan strictly respects the China-Japan fisheries agreement, fairly enforces the law and safeguards the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese crew members,” international ministry spokesman Lin Jian advised a news convention on Friday.
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Japan’s fisheries company stated the vessel’s captain was ordered to cease for an inspection, however the boat “failed to comply and fled”.
“Consequently, the vessel’s captain was arrested on the same day,” the company stated in a press release.
The boat was inside Japan’s unique financial zone 166 kilometres south-southwest of Meshima island within the Goto archipelago, Japan’s assertion stated not a disputed space.
The captain was named as Chinese nationwide Zheng Nianli, 47. The standing of the opposite 10 individuals on board the vessel, named the Qiong Dong Yu, was unclear.
“To prevent illegal fishing operations by foreign vessels, we will continue to take firm action and engage in enforcement activities,” chief authorities spokesman Minoru Kihara stated.
China has a variety of territorial tussles with Japan, and there have been repeated incidents across the Senkaku Islands, often known as the Diaoyu in China.
The 2010 arrest of one other Chinese fishing boat captain off these islands within the East China Sea grew to become a significant diplomatic incident.
Taiwan spat
Japan and China have shut financial ties however Takaichi’s feedback about Taiwan have despatched relations spiralling downwards once more.
China has lengthy insisted that Taiwan, occupied for many years by Japan till 1945, is its territory and has not dominated out power to realize “reunification”.
Taiwanese PresidentLai Ching-tetold AFP in an interview this week that different nations together with Japan could be China’s subsequent targets ought to Beijing seize the democratically ruled island.
“The next countries under threat would be Japan, thePhilippines, and others in the Indo-Pacific region, with repercussions eventually reaching the Americas and Europe,” Lai stated.
After Takaichi’s feedback, Beijing summoned Tokyo’s ambassador, warned Chinese residents towards visiting Japan and performed joint air drills with Russia.
In December, J-15 jets from China’s Liaoning plane service twice locked radar on Japanese plane in worldwide waters close to Okinawa, in response to Japan.
China additionally tightened controls on exports to Japan for objects with potential army makes use of, fuelling worries that Beijing could choke provides of important rare-earth minerals.
Japan’s final two pandas had been even returned to China final month.
Hawkish chief
Takaichi, 64, was seen as a China hawk earlier than turning into Japan’s first girl prime minister in October.
She received a landslide victory in snap elections on Sunday, placing her in a powerful place for the following 4 years to stamp her mark on Japanese home and international coverage.
Takaichi stated that she was “open to various dialogues with China”.
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But China’s international ministry stated “genuine dialogue should be built on respect for one another”.
“Proclaiming dialogue with one’s mouth while engaging in confrontation no one will accept this kind of dialogue,” international ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated Tuesday.
“If Japan truly wants to develop a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship with China, it’s very easy and clear: withdraw Takaichi’s erroneous remarks about Taiwan,” he stated.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally revealed on France24