Tensions are escalating between China and Taiwan as China intensifies patrols around a group of islands controlled by Taiwan. This action is a consequence of the drowning of two Chinese fishermen amid a pursuit by Taiwan’s coast guard, accused of trespassing. On Sunday, China’s coast guard, specifically its Fujian division, announced that it would strengthen maritime law enforcement and carry out routine patrols in the waters near Xiamen, China, and Taiwan’s Kinmen islands.
Gan Yu, a spokesperson for China’s coast guard, stated that the objective is to “further maintain the order of operations in the relevant waters and protect the lives and property of fishermen.” The decision to increase surveillance raises concerns about the heightened proximity between Chinese and Taiwanese coast guard vessels, potentially increasing the risk of misjudgment and conflict, as reported by CNN.
The recent escalation followed a Chinese speedboat overturned while trying to escape from Taiwan’s coast guard, accused of fishing illegally about 1 nautical mile off the coast of Kinmen. Two crew members survived after being rescued by Taiwan’s coast guard while the other two were found unconscious and confirmed dead after being taken to the hospital in Kinmen.
China has strongly criticized the occurrence, accusing Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of forcefully capturing fishing vessels from the mainland and subjecting mainland fishermen to mistreatment. The Taiwan Affairs Office in China expressed that the incident during the Lunar New Year holiday deeply wounded the sentiments of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait.
