Beijing condemns deaths of 2 mainland Chinese fishermen after Taiwan coastguard chase

Beijing has strongly condemned Taiwan over the deaths of two mainland Chinese fishermen who drowned during a pursuit by the island's coastguard in an unusual incident that could inflame cross-strait tensions.

The Taiwanese coastguard said the incident happened on Wednesday when it chased a speedboat from mainland China that was trespassing in waters off Taiwan's defence outpost of Quemoy - also known as Kinmen.

It said the speedboat, with four fishermen on board, had entered the archipelago's prohibited waters, 1.1 nautical miles east of Beiding.

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The coastguard said the fishing boat had illegally entered Taiwanese waters. Photo: Taiwan Coast Guard Administration alt=The coastguard said the fishing boat had illegally entered Taiwanese waters. Photo: Taiwan Coast Guard Administration>

"The people on board refused to heed our request for an inspection and [the boat] capsized as it sped away," a Taiwanese coastguard official said on Thursday.

All four fishermen fell into the water during the pursuit and were rescued by the coastguard and taken to hospital, the official said. Two of the men were later pronounced dead, while the other two are in stable condition.

The official said the Kinmen prosecutor's office was investigating the case.

Beijing strongly condemned the deaths and called for an investigation and assistance for the bereaved families, accusing the Taiwanese coastguard of using "violent and dangerous methods".

"We express our deep sorrow and condolences to the families of the drowned," Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement late on Wednesday. "This malicious incident has severely harmed the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait."

She said mainland Chinese authorities had for years provided help for Taiwanese fishermen seeking shelter, supplies and assistance.

"But for a long time, [Taiwan's] Democratic Progressive Party authorities have been using all sorts of excuses to forcefully inspect Chinese fishing vessels, and using violent and dangerous methods towards Chinese fishermen," she said.

Taiwan's coastguard said its actions were in line with regulations to expel, detain, confiscate and punish vessels that illegally enter Taiwanese waters.

The island's Mainland Affairs Council on Thursday said there was "no mishandling" by the coastguard and that it was "enforcing its duties in line with the law".

"We feel regret over this unfortunate incident but we hope the mainland authorities can restrain [illegal] actions like this by people from across the strait," the statement said.

It said mainland Chinese had for years been trespassing in Taiwanese waters to extract sand and catch fish, but Beijing had ignored requests from Taiwan for it to put a stop to the activities, which it said were illegal and caused harm to the ecosystem.

Residents of Quemoy - which is close to the city of Xiamen in mainland China - have in recent years reported a surge of mainland fishing vessels off the archipelago's coast.

According to Taiwan's coastguard, an increasing number of mainland Chinese dredgers have also been illegally extracting sand from the ocean floor. It has responded by sending patrol boats to drive them away or arrest those on board and seize the vessels.

Wednesday's incident comes as tensions are soaring across the Taiwan Strait following last month's election of William Lai Ching-te, the island's independence-leaning vice-president, as its next leader.

Beijing, which regards self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, to be reunited by force if necessary, has denounced Lai as an "obstinate separatist" whose leadership could bring war to the island.

Most countries - including the United States, Taipei's informal ally and top arms supplier - do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but are opposed to any attempt to forcibly change the status quo.

Beijing also changed a civilian flight path on February 1 so that it is closer the Taiwan Strait median line - a notional midway point between the island and mainland China. The move was seen as part of Beijing's efforts to squeeze the air space controlled by Taipei, and it responded by suspending a decision to lift a ban on group tours to mainland China.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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