Taiwan protests as China interferes with tourist boat near Kinmen Island

Taiwan lodges formal complaint about China’s intrusion on a tourist vessel in the Kinmen archipelago

Taiwan lodged a formal complaint against China’s intrusion into a tourist vessel amid escalating tensions in the Kinmen archipelago, a group of islands controlled by Taiwan but located near China’s shoreline. 

Reports from Taiwanese media indicated that the King Xia, carrying 11 crew members and 23 passengers, was intercepted by the Chinese coast guard, who stayed on the vessel for approximately 32 minutes on Monday.  

Following the incident, Taiwan’s coast guard safely escorted the vessel back to Kinmen, allowing it to resume its sightseeing journey. Minister Kuan Bi-ling of the Ocean Affairs Council told reporters at the legislature on Tuesday that the event had caused distress among the Taiwanese populace. He added that the interference had instigated fear among the residents on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the stretch of water separating mainland China from Taiwan.  

Premier Chen Chien-jen emphasized Taiwan’s efforts to deescalate tensions in the region, which have intensified since China heightened its military presence subsequent to Taiwan’s election of a president supportive of independence in January.  

China has increased patrols in the waters surrounding Taiwan’s Kinmen archipelago following an incident where two Chinese fishermen drowned while being pursued by the Taiwanese coast guard on suspicion of trespassing. Taiwan’s coast guard reported that a vessel carrying four individuals was fishing approximately one nautical mile off Kinmen, an area designated by Taiwan as restricted primarily for military purposes and capsized during the pursuit.  

The survivors are currently under Taiwanese custody. China attributed the fishermen’s deaths to Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and refuted the concept of restricted waters. A spokesperson from the Chinese coast guard announced plans for regular monitoring of the waters off Xiamen’s southern coast, near Kinmen, to bolster maritime law enforcement. Fishermen from both Taiwan and China frequently navigate this region, which has witnessed heightened tensions due to the increased presence of Chinese vessels, including sand dredgers and fishing boats.  

Residents of Kinmen have voiced concerns over the environmental and economic impact of these vessels, with complaints ranging from noise pollution to fishing losses. Despite Taiwan’s separation from China following the 1949 civil war, Beijing maintains its claim over the island and its surrounding territories, escalating threats of military intervention to assert its sovereignty. 

Source: AP