Chinese attempt hijacking

Eight mainland Chinese crewmen working on a Taiwanese fishing boat had hijacked the vessel in the Pacific Ocean, but were later detained by the US Coast Guard near Guam, officials said yesterday. The crew hijacked the ship, Ta Lung Hsin No. 7, near the Volcano Island in the Pacific Ocean last Tuesday, and sailed toward Guam, where they planned to escape, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. But the US Coast Guard launched a search for the ship last week after the owner of the boat reported that he suspected it had been hijacked because he failed to receive radio signals from the vessel, officials said. The statement said the boat was found and seized near Guam on Saturday night, and the Taiwanese captain and engineer were in good condition. The local Chinese-language media quoted the boat owner, Chen Chien-chung, as saying this was his third fishing boat that has been hijacked by mainland Chinese crew.