Overview
- The Fisheries Agency said the vessel ignored an order to stop for inspection and fled before the captain, identified as Zheng Nianli, 47, was arrested.
- Kyodo reported it is the agency's first seizure of a Chinese fishing boat since 2022.
- The boat, identified as the Qiong Dong Yu, was operating in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone off Nagasaki, with 11 people on board.
- China urged Japan to respect the bilateral fishing agreement and protect the safety and legal rights of the crew, according to foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.
- Japan's chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara said authorities will continue firm measures against illegal foreign fishing, noting past seizures of Taiwanese and South Korean vessels.