China-Taiwan tensions rise over isles
BEIJING—China’s coast guard said on Sunday it would send ships to strengthen its law enforcement activities and carry out regular patrols around a small group of Taiwanese-controlled islands off the Chinese coast as tensions rise over the death of two Chinese nationals.
Two people on a Chinese speedboat died on Thursday when their boat overturned while trying to flee a Taiwanese coast guard ship. Two other people on the boat survived and were detained in Taiwan.
The speedboat had reportedly gotten too close to a front-line Taiwanese islet and was pursued by a Taipei vessel.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained in recent years about Chinese fishing boats and other vessels operating in Taiwan-controlled waters, especially around the Kinmen and Matsu islands which sit a short distance from China’s coast.
China has condemned Taiwan’s actions and labeled the incident near Kinmen’s Beiding islet as “wicked.”
China’s coast guard said in a short statement it will strengthen its maritime law enforcement forces and carry out regular law enforcement patrols and inspections in the waters around Kinmen and Xiamen, one of the Chinese cities Kinmen faces.
This is to “further maintain the order of operations in the relevant waters and safeguard the safety of fishermen’s lives and property,” it added.
Late on Saturday, Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the deaths had caused “strong indignation” in China and that there were no off limits waters.
“Fishermen on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have been operating in traditional fishing grounds in the Xiamen-Kinmen maritime area since ancient times, and there is no such thing as ‘prohibited or restricted waters,’” it said.
China’s government had goodwill towards Taiwan’s people, but will never tolerate Taiwan’s disregard for the safety of Chinese fishermen, the office added.
Taiwan’s China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said Taiwanese forces would continue to enforce the rules on banning unauthorized Chinese access to Taiwan’s waters around Kinmen. It said Chinese accusations of “rough expulsions” were untrue.
The council said “unfortunate incidents” happen when ships that bear no name, have no certification or port registration carry out “continuous intrusions” and make dangerous moves while trying to flee the Taiwanese coast guard.
Kinmen, along with Matsu, has been controlled by Taipei since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan after losing to Mao Zedong’s communists who set up the People’s Republic of China. —reports from REUTERS, AFP
