Japanese authorities released a Chinese fishing boat captain on Friday night, just one day after his arrest for refusing an inspection in Japan's exclusive economic zone. The release came after China guaranteed payment of cash collateral. The incident underscores ongoing tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.
On Thursday, February 12, 2026, Japanese authorities seized a Chinese fishing vessel and arrested its captain, Zheng Nianli, 47, a Chinese national, after the boat refused an order to stop for inspection in Japan's exclusive economic zone off Nagasaki Prefecture. The incident occurred 89.4 nautical miles (166 kilometers) south-southwest of Meshima island, a location not in disputed waters.
According to Japan's fisheries agency, the vessel fled after the order. Local media, including public broadcaster NHK, reported that the captain was released Friday night after China guaranteed payment of cash collateral. This marks the first seizure of a Chinese vessel since 2022.
The episode comes three months after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan would intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by force. In response, China summoned Japan's ambassador, warned its citizens against visiting Japan, conducted joint air drills with Russia, and tightened export controls on items with potential military uses to Japan, raising concerns over supplies of vital rare-earth minerals.
China called on Japan to respect the safety and rights of the Chinese crew. Multiple calls to the fisheries agency went unanswered Saturday morning. A similar 2010 arrest of a Chinese fishing boat captain in the East China Sea escalated into a major diplomatic incident between the two nations.
