Hayashi Asami talks about Japan's Fisheries Agency seizing Chinese fishing vessels, saying Japan will continue to take firm measures!
Recently, the Japanese Fisheries Agency deployed four enforcement vessels to intercept and seize a Chinese fishing vessel approximately 170 kilometers south of Omishima, Nishisonogi City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and took away the 47-year-old captain. This incident has passed almost ten days, and recently, Japanese Prime Minister Hayashi Asami made a statement, saying that Japan will "continue to take firm measures, strengthen law enforcement, and prevent and deter illegal fishing activities by foreign fishing vessels."
At around 12:23 p.m. on February 12, the Chinese fishing vessel "Qiongdong Yu 11998" was fishing in the East China Sea traditional fishing grounds. There were 11 people on board, including the captain Zheng Nianli, using a trawling method targeting mackerel and sardines. These two fish species are common economic fish in the East China Sea, especially mackerel, which is a high-end ingredient for sushi in the Japanese market, with the value of a single vessel reaching up to one million RMB per fishing season.
The four Japanese Fisheries Agency enforcement vessels - Shirogane, Nanaizumi, Musashi, and Shirohagi - left from the Nagasaki coastal base, discovered this Chinese fishing vessel, and issued a stop order via radio, requiring boarding and inspection. The Chinese fishing vessel did not stop but chose to leave the scene, after which Japanese vessels pursued and intercepted it, eventually forcing it to be stopped, boarded, and controlled, arresting the captain and seizing the fishing vessel.
The timing of this incident is interesting. On February 9, 2026, Japan just completed the House of Representatives election, and Hayashi Asami's Liberal Democratic Party won 316 seats, exceeding the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional amendment. For her, who took office in October 2025, this was a major victory. As Japan's first female prime minister, she is called "the female Abe" by right-wing forces, and her core goal is to push for constitutional reform, allowing Japan to have a regular army.
This fishing vessel seizure incident occurred just before the Spring Festival, and it was also the first time in four years that Japan had taken "arrest and seize" actions against mainland China fishing vessels. Choosing this timing is hard to say it's a coincidence. Hayashi Asami needs to show a tough stance on security issues to consolidate support from the right-wing base, and fisheries enforcement is a relatively low-cost trial method.
The Chinese captain was released on the night of February 13, less than 24 hours after being detained. The Japanese side said it was because a guarantee letter was submitted, but in fact, it was the Chinese Consulate General in Fukuoka that provided assistance in paying the deposit, along with simultaneous diplomatic pressure from China, which led to the quick release.
Gao Ge believes that obviously, Hayashi Asami wants to test China's bottom line with this action, seeing what China's reaction would be after her high-vote victory. Hayashi Asami's words "continue to take firm measures" sound tough, but the actual effect depends on subsequent actions. If Japan continues to unilaterally enforce laws in disputed waters, arrest and seize vessels, China will inevitably take equivalent countermeasures, and the fisheries dispute may escalate into broader diplomatic friction. If they keep testing China's bottom line, they may end up in a situation where they can't back down.
Japanese Prime Minister Nomination Election
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857742015531008/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.