David v/s Goliath: Tension soars as Taiwan warns off intruding Chinese boats
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Tension mounted on Saturday when Taiwan warned Chinese coast guard boats to “turn around immediately,” after they intruded the restricted Taiwan Straits waters, near the frontline islands near China for the second day in a row, the media reported.
Despite Taiwan’s persistent protests, China claims the self-run and democratic island as its territory, to be “unified” with mainland China one day. In recent years, Beijing has increased its military presence close to Taiwan and even threatened it multiple times, invading air defense identification zones every day.
According to the media reports, Taiwan’s coast guard informed that four Chinese coast guard vessels intruded the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands’ restricted waters, abutting the Chinese coast, on Saturday morning.
After being directed to leave by Taiwanese authorities, the Chinese boats stayed for put for over an hour before leaving.
“You have entered our country’s restricted waters. Please turn around immediately,” a Taiwan official said via radio in a broadcast message to their Chinese counterparts, according to footage released on Saturday by Taiwan’s coast guard.
The footage shows a Taiwan coast guard boat tracking the movement of two Chinese ships in the near distance.
“The move has seriously impacted traffic and safety. To avoid triggering naval incidents we urge them to stop such behaviors,” Taiwan’s coast guard said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from China’s coast guard, which does not have publicly available contact details.
China’s coast guard conducted patrols near the Kinmen Islands on Friday as well, with four Chinese coast guard boats being warned away by their Taiwanese counterparts, Taiwan’s official Central News Agency said.
In February, China’s coast guard launched regular patrols around Kinmen, after two Chinese nationals died while trying to flee Taiwan’s coast guard after their boat entered prohibited waters.
Taiwan dispatched coast guard boats on Thursday to join a rescue mission at China’s request after a Chinese fishing vessel capsized near the Kinmen islands. Taiwan’s government stressed the importance of cooperation between Taiwan and China in a bid to lower tensions.
On Friday, Taiwan also sent several boats at China’s request to help search for a Chinese fisherman who went overboard near the Taiwan-controlled Matsu islands, at the northern end of the Taiwan Strait.
A senior Taiwan security official informed that Beijing is sending out “confusing” messages by continuing its harassment of Taiwan, while also asking for Taipei’s assistance in dealing with maritime incidents.
The official said the latest moves by the Chinese coast guard in Kinmen “did not carry substantial security threats” but complicated the situation there.
“We are clueless,” the official said. “We tried to save their fishermen yesterday and today they are baring their teeth and claws.”
Last week, Taiwan’s top China policy-making body urged its giant neighbor not to change the “status quo” in waters near Kinmen by sending coast guard boats into restricted areas.
