Chinese coast guards boarded a Taiwanese fishing boat operating in waters near Taipei-controlled Kinmen Island off the coast of China on Tuesday night (local time) and took it to the People’s Republic of China, where it remains detained. Da Jin Man 88, The squid fishing vessel was approached by two Chinese patrol boats when it was in Chinese waters, one of the commanders of the Coast Guard of Taiwan, the democratic and self-governed island that Beijing claims as an inalienable part of its territory, acknowledged on Wednesday. The episode further heats up the heated waters of the Strait after Beijing increased the pressure following the inauguration in May of the new Taiwanese president, Lai Ching-te, whom China considers a “danger” due to his secessionist tendencies. The government of Taiwan is already working on the release of the boat and its crew and has asked the People’s Republic “not to use political factors to manage this situation.”
A Chinese coastguard spokesman said the ship had violated Beijing’s summer moratorium on the area and used illegal fishing techniques, “damaging marine fishery resources and the ecological environment.” Its patrols boarded and inspected the ship. Da Jin Man 88, and when Taiwanese vessels tried to interfere with “normal law enforcement,” the Coast Guard warned and expelled them, according to the Chinese spokesman, whose statements have been picked up by the official Xinhua news agency. Taiwan has confirmed that it sent its own coast guard vessels to ask China to release the fishing boat, but they withdrew after the warnings. The incident took place off the coast of the Chinese province of Fujian, near the Taiwanese island of Kinmen, so close to mainland China that an experienced swimmer could swim from one side to the other. The fishing boat has been taken to the Chinese port of Weitou.
Taiwanese Coast Guard commander Xie Qingqin acknowledged that the fishing boat was operating during the Chinese moratorium, and that Beijing has tightened controls this year, according to Taiwanese news agency CNA. The vessel has been detained with its crew on board, made up of two Taiwanese and three Indonesians. Xie added that Taipei plans to contact China and urge it to release them as soon as possible. Taiwanese national security sources have assured the agency that fishing boats operating in these waters are not under Taiwanese jurisdiction and that, during the Chinese fishing moratorium, there is a risk of violating its regulations.
In previous similar incidents, the detained fishing boats were allowed to return home after paying a fine, Hsieh Chong-chin, deputy director-general of the Taiwanese Coast Guard, said, according to Reuters. Hsieh has called for raising the alert level and has assured that Taipei will step up its patrols. “The coast guard also calls on the mainland not to use political factors to handle this situation,” he added.
The incident comes at a time of heightened tension. Taiwan’s government last week asked its citizens not to travel to China unless absolutely necessary, after Beijing threatened the previous week to impose even the death penalty on “hardline supporters” of Taiwan independence, according to guidelines issued by the top judicial authorities and the Chinese government.
China has been increasing its pressure on Taiwan, which it intends to reunite peacefully but without renouncing the use of force if necessary, since Lai Ching-te took office on May 20. In his inaugural address, the new president assured that the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) and the People’s Republic of China “are not subordinate to each other.” His words aroused the anger of Beijing, which responded with war maneuvers around the island. The exercises included Coast Guard patrols that simulated the inspection and boarding of ships.
Knowing what’s happening outside means understanding what’s going to happen inside, so don’t miss anything.
KEEP READING
China has stepped up surveillance in these waters after two Chinese fishermen drowned in February while being pursued by the Taiwanese Coast Guard, which accused them of being in the area illegally.
Follow all the international information at Facebook and Xor in our weekly newsletter.
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits
_
#China #raises #tension #Strait #detention #Taiwanese #fishing #boat
