Taiwan: mainland China sends coastguard ships from contested Diaoyu Islands to patrol near Kinmen where fishermen died
A video released by the force showed a coastguard vessel issuing a verbal warning: “I am China Coast Guard Ship 2202. Please advise your ship’s departure port, destination port and purpose for coming to this sea area”.
Beijing vows regular patrols in waters where 2 fishermen died after Taiwan chase
A photo attached to the statement showed a Chinese coastguard vessel facing a small boat in nearby water. The other boat appeared to be from Taiwan’s coastguard, said Yuyuan Tantian, a social media platform affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, quoting anonymous sources.
The Chinese statement said the operation aimed to strengthen law enforcement in key water areas, effectively maintain order and safeguard the safety and property of fishermen.
A video released by the force showed the types of the vessels, including those bearing numbers 14608, 14515 and 2202. The latter was used to patrol near the disputed Diaoyu Islands, called the Senkaku in Japanese, with “rich” law enforcement experience, according to Yue Gang, a retired PLA colonel.
Yue said ships 2202 and 2203, which is also over 2,000 tonnes and appeared in the patrols on Sunday, had strong firepower capabilities and could operate helicopters on deck. He said “forming an absolute advantage over the Kinmen coastguard ships and preventing possible reinforcements from Taiwan … can effectively deter Taiwan”.
Zhang Junshe, a mainland military expert, was quoted by Global Times as saying the patrols marked the first time China Coast Guard had entered the “prohibited or restricted waters” around Kinmen. In these waterways Taiwan’s coastguard searches foreign boats among other law-enforcement measures. Beijing has denied the existence of such waters but traditionally it has abided by the boundaries.
Zhang said the development on Sunday was to warn Taiwan authorities and to show that “Kinmen is China’s territory, and the Kinmen waters are waters under China’s jurisdiction”.
Yue Gang also said Beijing’s enforcement patrol intended to “[show we] do not recognise the so-called prohibition restriction lines established by Taiwan, and to abolish Taiwan’s law enforcement”.
On the same day, a further two boats were enforcing Beijing’s fisheries law in the same maritime area.
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Taiwan drives away mainland Chinese coastguard in series of tense exchanges
Beijing and Taipei remain at loggerheads over the death of the fishermen after their boat was being pursued by Taiwan’s coastguard in the waters near Kinmen.
Taiwanese authorities argued that the mainland Chinese boat was not licensed, illegally entered its “prohibited or restricted waters” and capsized when it was trying to avoid inspection by Taiwan’s coastguard. Beijing denied the waters were restricted and accused Taipei of hiding the truth about the accident.
Could fatal Taiwan coastguard chase be a chance to ease tensions?
A mainland delegation, including officials and relatives of the dead fishermen, were in Kinmen to negotiate with Taiwanese authorities. They conducted their sixth round of talks on Sunday, according to Taiwanese media.
The incident was expected to add to the cross strait tension that had risen since William Lai Ching-te from the independent-leaning Democratic Progressive Party won the island’s presidential election in January.
On Friday, state media reported that Beijing must grasp “the strategic initiative” to achieve reunification with Taiwan this year, according to Wang Huning, the head of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the mainland’s top advisory body, in the annual working meeting of Taiwan affairs.