Taiwan coast guard retreats Chinese coast guard ship near Kinmen
The aftermath of the incident in which two Chinese people died when a Chinese fishing boat capsized while fleeing from inspection near Kinmen Island on the 14th is continuing. Tensions are rising as Taiwan’s Coast Guard (Coast Guard) retreated a Chinese Coast Guard ship that entered the waters of Kinmen Island, and China’s Coast Guard strengthened patrols near Mazudao (Mazu Islands) following Kinmen Island.
On the 22nd, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that two Chinese coast guard ships patrolled the waters near Mazudao the previous day, and Taiwan’s coast guard order reported that the Chinese coast guard did not enter the restricted access area of Mazudao.
Mazudao is an archipelago located off the coast of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, China, and is considered Taiwan’s frontier island along with Kinmen Island. Administratively, it is under the jurisdiction of Lianjiang County, Taiwan.
“Chinese coast guard vessels are operating (patrolling) outside the restricted waters (Mazudao), and other Chinese fishing vessels are operating as usual, so there are no unusual situations,” said an anonymous source from the Sea Order. “Taiwanese residents need to be overly nervous.” “There is no,” he said.
Prior to this, there was an incident where a Taiwanese coast guard ship forced a Chinese coast guard ship that had entered the prohibited waters of Kinmen Island to retreat.
According to Taiwan’s Maritime Police on the 21st, at 9:05 a.m. (local time) the previous day, the China Coast Guard’s 150-ton marine surveillance vessel No. 8029 entered the Kinmen off-limits waters, and Maritime Police patrol vessel No. 3556 arrived at the scene.
The Taiwanese patrol ship announced through warning broadcasts that the Chinese coast guard ship would leave the prohibited waters, and the Chinese coast guard ship returned about an hour later at 10:05.
On the 14th, a Chinese fishing boat that was fleeing to avoid inspection by the Taiwan Sea Order capsized near Kinmen Island, resulting in the deaths of two Chinese nationals.
On the 18th, the China Coast Guard announced that it would conduct regular patrols between Xiamen and Taiwan’s Kinmen Island, and on the 19th, the China Coast Guard boarded the Chuur, a cruise ship belonging to Taiwan’s Jinxia Shipping Company, without permission and conducted an inspection near Kinmen Island.
At that time, the Chinese Coast Guard requested the captain of the Tsuru to provide a voyage plan, ship certificate, and identification documents for the captain and crew, and inspected the ship for about 30 minutes. When a Taiwan maritime vessel belonging to the Taiwan Coast Guard arrived, they disembarked and returned.
Taiwanese authorities are concerned that China is conducting regular inspections of Taiwanese ships throughout the Taiwan Strait, including Kinmen Island, and that there is a high possibility of accidental collisions between coast guard authorities.
Meanwhile, the two fishermen who survived this incident left Kinmen Island and returned to China on the 20th with representatives of the Chinese Red Cross branch in Quanzhou, Fujian Province.
The bereaved families of the two fishermen who died in this incident visited the funeral home in Jinmen Island to confirm their remains and identities.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.