Five Chinese coast guard ships on Monday entered prohibited or restricted waters around Taiwan’s frontline islands of Kinmen, but left shortly after being warned away, Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said yesterday.
China’s coast guard this month began regular patrols around the Kinmen islands after two Chinese nationals died trying to flee Taiwan’s coast guard after their boat entered prohibited waters.
Kuan told a legislative plenary session that the Chinese boats left the area shortly after Taiwan’s coast guard told them to leave.
Photo: CNA
“The political significance is high, which is a form of a declaration of sovereignty,” she said.
China’s coast guard, which has no publicly available contact details, has yet to comment.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said it would comment at its regular news briefing today. It said earlier this month that it recognizes no off-limits or restricted waters for Chinese fishing boats around Kinmen.
Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) told lawmakers that he hoped what was happening around Kinmen would not escalate and would be “smoothly handled.”
“We don’t want to see any combat conditions occur,” he said.
Taiwan has been wary of efforts by Beijing to ramp up pressure on Taipei following last month’s election of Vice President William Lai (賴清德) as president.
Taiwan has a large military garrison on Kinmen, the scene of frequent fighting during the height of the Cold War, but Taiwan’s coast guard patrols its waters.
The Ministry of National Defense last week said that it is not bolstering its forces on islands close to China, including the Matsu archipelago north of Kinmen.
Kinmen is a short boat ride from the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou.
Six Chinese coast guard officers last week boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat carrying 11 crew and 23 passengers to check its route plan, certificate and crew licences, leaving about half an hour later, Taiwan’s coast guard said.
Beijing has accused Taiwan of acting “maliciously” by causing the deaths of the two Chinese on the fishing boat, which had gotten too close to one of Kinmen’s heavily fortified islets.
Speaking to reporters before the legislative session, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) told reporters that the government would enforce “necessary evictions” in accordance with standard operating procedures.
“We in Taiwan are concerned about safeguarding the rights of fishermen and the safety of the sea. In fact, all our practices are the same as those of other countries around the world,” he said.
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