A Chinese speedboat crossed the border into the waters around Kinmen on Wednesday (Feb. 14) and was chased away by Taiwan’s Coast Guard. The speedboat overturned to avoid detection, resulting in the drowning of two crew members. Amid ongoing tensions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, concerns have been raised about whether the accident will escalate into a political incident. Analysts have also pointed out that the CCP may use the incident to further establish that it enforces the law in the Taiwan Strait and in the restricted waters designated by Taiwan, expanding its legal battle against Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Coast Guard said on February 14, the same day at 1:45 p.m. in the Kinmen North Anchorage east of 1.2 nautical miles in the sea (0.5 nautical miles within the line of prohibited waters) to carry out patrols, found that a Chinese “no name” speedboat crossing the border, immediately carry out the operation of expulsion, but because of the speedboat snakes refused to check the two sides to chase the process of the four Chinese crew members in the process of accidentally fall into the sea, immediately launched a search and rescue. The search and rescue operation was immediately launched and two of them survived, while the other two were sent to the hospital for emergency treatment before succumbing to their injuries.
China and Taiwan waters highly overlap, based on the highly sensitive cross-strait relations, Taiwan is away from the outer islands of Kinmen, Matsu delineated restrictions, prohibited waters range, Chinese ships are not allowed to enter without permission. Taiwan media reports, after the winter in the Kinmen area, Chinese fishing boats will cross the border to catch yellowtail and white pomfret, to avoid detection often and Taiwan coast guard ships staged chase theater, dangerous.
Taiwan Coast Guard pointed out that in the past to drive the Chinese fishing boats across the border fishing although there have been clashes, but has not caused casualties, the two dead accident is the first case, has been through the pipeline to contact the Chinese family members to assist in the disposal. As for the survivors of two stable signs of life, by the Kinmen Sea Patrol to bring back to the investigation.
Photo credit: Taiwan Coast Guard
