China issued a warning to Taiwan following an incident in which fishermen from the mainland died.
Zhu Fenglian, the spokesperson for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, criticized the Taiwanese authorities, accusing them of using "various excuses to forcefully seize mainland fishing boats and treat mainland fishermen in a rough and dangerous way. This is the main reason for this vicious incident."
The clash has brought into focus the ongoing maritime tensions between Taiwan and China, particularly around the issues of territorial waters and the treatment of fishermen. The incident took place in the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait, which divides the Chinese mainland from Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, although the Chinese Communist Party has never governed the self-administered island during its seven decades in power.
In the maritime incident near Taiwan's Kinmen Islands on Wednesday, a Chinese speedboat capsized while being pursued by the Taiwan Coast Guard for illegally entering Taiwanese waters. That led to the death of two of the four occupants, Taiwan's official Central News Agency (CNA) reported.
The Coast Guard Administration stated that the event occurred 1.1 nautical miles east of Beiding Island in Kinmen County. The Coast Guard personnel on duty discovered the unnamed speedboat at 1:45 p.m. and attempted to prevent unauthorized entry into the area, CNA reported.
According to Taiwan's Coast Guard, when they asked the speedboat to submit for inspection, it resisted and subsequently capsized in its attempts to escape, according to Taiwanese media outlet Liberty Times on Wednesday.
In response to the swift action taken by the Coast Guard, all four individuals were rescued from the water; however, despite immediate medical attention, two of them died after being rushed to Kinmen Hospital, CNA reported.
Zhu Fenglian condemned the Taiwanese authorities for the incident in an official statement.
"We express our deep condolences and sincere condolences to the compatriots who were killed and their families, and express our strong condemnation to the Taiwan side for such a vicious incident that seriously hurt the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait during the Spring Festival," Zhu said.
Zhu also urged Taiwan to acknowledge the historical fishing practices within the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing the importance of ensuring "the personal safety of mainland fishermen and effectively preventing such incidents from happening again."
The Taiwanese Coast Guard detailed that their patrol boat CP1051 was responsible for the rescue operation, saving the four individuals before two were declared deceased. The incident has been escalated to the Kinmen District Prosecutor's Office for a further investigation, Liberty Times reported.
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About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
