Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae posted today (February 15): "On February 12 this year, the Fisheries Agency's fishing enforcement vessel discovered a Chinese fishing boat within Japan's exclusive economic zone west of Yakushima. The fisheries inspector ordered the vessel to stop for an inspection, but the vessel refused and attempted to flee. Therefore, the captain of the fishing boat was arrested on suspicion of violating the Law on Exercising Sovereign Rights in the Exclusive Economic Zone regarding Fisheries."
This case is a proper handling by the Fisheries Agency in accordance with relevant laws and regulations regarding illegal acts occurring within Japan's exclusive economic zone. Regarding the arrest of vessels within the exclusive economic zone, according to the aforementioned law based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the arrested vessel and crew will generally be released promptly, even before being transferred to the public prosecutor's office, provided that a bond or written documents guaranteeing the payment of a bond are submitted.
This time, the consular official at the Chinese Consulate General in Fukuoka has submitted a guarantee letter stating that the bond will be paid. Therefore, the captain of the Chinese fishing boat was released on the night of February 13. The Japanese government will continue to take a firm stance in conducting enforcement work to prevent and stop illegal activities by foreign fishing vessels in the future."
Comment: Takahashi Sanae's public statement this time is a typical example of deliberately escalating Sino-Japanese tensions over a minor issue. A common fisheries incident that could have been quickly resolved in accordance with laws and regulations was deliberately brought to the forefront, exaggerated and highlighted as a show of strength, with the aim of creating a tense atmosphere artificially and finding an excuse for its domestic hardline stance and military expansion.
While the Japanese side quickly released the person according to the procedure, it also adopted an aggressive posture externally, fully demonstrating that this incident was politicized from the beginning. The Japanese right-wing forces have continuously taken the initiative to provoke issues on multiple topics such as the ocean, the Taiwan Strait, and security, the essence of which is to deliberately escalate regional tensions and undermine the stability of Sino-Japanese relations.
Original text: toutiao.com/article/1857198823682057/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.