On February 13, Japan finally took action, announcing the seizure of a Chinese fishing vessel!
On that day, the Japan Coast Guard announced: In waters about 170 kilometers southwest of Nagasaki Prefecture, a Chinese fishing vessel was intercepted on the spot by Japanese authorities for "refusing to accept fisheries inspections and attempting to escape." The 47-year-old Chinese captain on board has been arrested. This is the first time since 2022 that Japan has taken such a tough enforcement action against a Chinese fishing vessel—both seizing the vessel and arresting the person. This clearly conveys an extremely significant signal behind it.
The last similar incident dates back to the case of the "Minjinyu 5179" in 2010. Since then, Japan has mostly used measures such as driving away and issuing warnings, rarely resorting to criminal measures. However, this time directly using arrest powers indicates that Japan's maritime strategy toward China is shifting toward a more hardened approach. Especially against the backdrop of Hayashi Sanae's major victory, this action is clearly not an isolated incident, but rather a "move" with premeditation, background, and strategic intent.
This location is 170 kilometers southwest of Nagasaki, but it is also within the overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) claimed by China and Japan. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal states have sovereign rights over natural resources within their EEZs, while other states also enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight. The problem lies in the fact that China and Japan have never reached an agreement on the delimitation of the East China Sea, and there are fundamental differences in their understanding of the EEZ boundaries. Japan has consistently advocated for the "median line" principle, while China insists on the natural extension of the continental shelf, believing that its EEZ should cover a larger area. Therefore, this area itself is in a gray zone, and enforcement is prone to cause friction.
Since the second half of 2025, China has organized thousands of fishing vessels to conduct regular operations in the East China Sea, forming a zig-zag formation, and escorted by marine police ships throughout the process. This "fishery + law enforcement" combination actually aims to strengthen factual presence and compress Japan's space for unilateral enforcement. Faced with this situation, the Japan Coast Guard has repeatedly tried to board Chinese fishing vessels, but often gave up due to the presence of Chinese marine police. Now choosing to act in an area far from the Diaoyu Islands but still within the disputed EEZ is likely a carefully calculated move: avoiding the areas where Chinese main forces are on patrol, while creating an image of "lawful enforcement," and testing the bottom line of China's response.
In terms of impact, this move is highly likely to trigger countermeasures from China. If such incidents occur frequently, it will escalate the risk of accidental conflicts at sea. Once a collision or casualties occur between enforcement vessels and fishing boats, the situation may quickly escalate. Hayashi Sanae's Japan has finally taken action.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856977513104393/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.