Japan’s Coast Guard seized a Chinese fishing vessel in the East China Sea near Kyushu’s Nagasaki Prefecture on February 13, 2026. The vessel, carrying 11 crew members including its captain, was intercepted within Japan’s exclusive economic zone after allegedly attempting to flee when ordered to stop. All crew members are currently in custody, according to a Coast Guard statement.

This marks Japan’s first seizure of a Chinese vessel in four years, the last such incident occurring in 2022. The operation comes at a time of heightened concern between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as an inseparable part of its territory. The issue has resurfaced following recent remarks by Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The seizure underscores the fragile maritime relations between Japan and China, particularly as both nations navigate sensitive territorial and political disputes in the region.