Four Chinese coast guard vessels sailed near the restricted zone surrounding Kinmen County on Monday morning, days after Beijing declared it did not recognize the designation.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office on Saturday said that fishers had been operating in the waters near Xiamen and Kinmen “since ancient times,” and there is “no such thing as 'prohibited or restricted waters.’”
It made the comment after an unregistered Chinese speedboat operating in the restricted zone on Wednesday last week capsized when attempting to flee from the Taiwanese coast guard, resulting in two fatalities.
Photo courtesy of the Mainland Affairs Council
According to the China Ports maritime tracking Web site, four Chinese coast guard ships sailed near Kinmen’s restricted zone on Monday morning.
The ships varied greatly in size from 15m to 92m long, circling the north, south and southeast of the county.
The action follows a statement by China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu (甘羽) on Sunday that the Fujian coast guard would enhance its presence in the region to “safeguard the lives and property of fishers.”
Also on Sunday, the Mainland Affairs Council said that Taiwan would continue to enforce the law in its restricted and prohibited waters.
“Our authorities will expel or detain vessels crossing our border in accordance with the law. This has been the case in the past, and [they] will continue to enforce the law in the future,” it said.
On Feb. 1, 2021, China began enforcing its new Coast Guard Law, which gives itself the right to enforce Chinese domestic laws in waters over which it claims jurisdiction in contradiction of international law.
It has recorded 45,701 such cases in the ensuing three years, an annual increase of 143.4 percent, according to the China Coast Guard.
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