The episode on Thursday off southern Japan got here three months after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi advised that Japan would intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by drive.
China swiftly 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 instructed a news convention on Friday.
Japan’s fisheries company mentioned 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 mentioned in a press release.
The boat was inside Japan’s unique financial zone 89.4 nautical miles (166 kilometres) south-southwest of Meshima island within the Goto archipelago, Japan’s assertion mentioned — 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 mentioned.
China has numerous territorial tussles with Japan, and there have been repeated incidents across the Senkaku Islands, referred to as the Diaoyu in China.
The 2010 arrest of one other Chinese fishing boat captain off these islands within the East China Sea turned 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 drive to attain “reunification”.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te instructed AFP in an interview this week that different international locations — together with Japan — can be China’s subsequent targets ought to Beijing seize the democratic island.
“The next countries under threat would be Japan, the Philippines, and others in the Indo-Pacific region, with repercussions eventually reaching the Americas and Europe,” Lai mentioned.
After Takaichi’s feedback, Beijing summoned Tokyo’s ambassador, warned Chinese residents in opposition to 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 accordance with Japan.
China additionally tightened controls on exports to Japan for objects with potential navy makes use of, fuelling worries that Beijing might choke provides of significant rare-earth minerals.
Japan’s final two pandas have 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 gained a landslide victory in snap elections on Sunday, placing her in a robust place for the subsequent 4 years to stamp her mark on Japanese home and international coverage.
Takaichi mentioned Monday that underneath her management Japan — which hosts some 60,000 US navy personnel — would bolster its defences and “steadfastly protect” its territory.
She additionally mentioned that she was “open to various dialogues with China”.
But China’s international ministry mentioned “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 mentioned 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 mentioned.
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Originally printed on France24