TOKYO: Japan seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its skipper, authorities said Friday, an incident that could deepen a spat between the Asian giants.
The episode on Thursday off southern Japan came three months after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Japan would intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by force.
China swiftly reacted to the seizure, the Japanese fisheries’ agency first since 2022 of a Chinese fishing boat, by urging Japan to protect 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,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference on Friday.
Japan’s fisheries agency said the vessel’s captain was ordered to stop for an inspection, but the boat “failed to comply and fled.”
