The captain of the Chinese fishing boat that collided with Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels near the disputed Senkaku Islands could stand trial in the latest bilateral territorial spat, officials said Thursday.
That likelihood increased as the coast guard handed over 41-year-old skipper Zhan Qixiong to prosecutors for further investigation to decide whether to officially charge him, coast guard spokesman Masahiro Ichijo said.
Zhan has been in custody since his arrest Wednesday, after his ship collided with two patrol boats near the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. No one was injured, and the two Japanese vessels sustained minor damage.