The conflict between China and Taiwan has had a new twist in recent days. The Chinese Coast Guard intervened on board a Taiwanese tourist boat that accidentally entered Beijing-controlled waters.
On Monday, a Taiwanese tourist boat with 23 passengers on board was intercepted by two Chinese Coast Guard ships. Six Chinese guard officers boarded the vessel and demanded to see the ship’s route plan, certificates and licenses of 11 crew members.
The boat was near the Taipei-controlled Kinmen Islands, an archipelago located just a few kilometers off China’s southeastern coast. According to the Taiwanese Coast Guard, due to the shallowness of these waters, the vessel, while sailing around the islands, tilted towards the strait controlled by Beijing.
Beijing’s retaliation?
Authorities in Taipei criticized China for its inadequate response. – When Chinese boats enter our waters, we know they did it by accident, so we broadcast warnings and wait for them to leave. We believe that China’s intervention on board our ship caused panic and did not serve the interests of people on the other side of the strait, says Kuan Bi-Ling, head of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council.
This – according to Taiwan excessive – reaction from China, according to many experts, was not accidental at all, but rather retaliatory. Tensions on the sea route, popular with both Chinese and Taiwanese tour operators, have been rising for a week, and China has announced increased patrols in the area. All because of the accident of the boat of Chinese fishermen accused of invading the territory of Taiwan.
– As their motorboat snaked its way to avoid inspection, it capsized and the four people on board fell into the sea. Our patrol boat immediately went into action. Two fishermen survived, but the other two died after being taken to hospital, explains Chen Chien-Wen, Taiwan Coast Guard. Beijing has blamed Taiwanese authorities for their deaths and used the incident to expand its presence in waters it, like Taiwan itself, considers its own territory.
Two Chinese fishermen have died following a pursuit by the Taiwanese Coast Guard Reuters
Strained relationships
The incident has escalated to a political level for now, but fears have increased in Taiwan that it may also lead to military escalation. However, experts reassure us. – China may exert political pressure, but I do not think it will decide to escalate this situation into a military conflict. For now, they have engaged the so-called maritime police, which is part of the coast guard. These are relatively harmless activities, explains Su Tzu-Yun from the Taiwan Defense and Security Research Institute.
SEE ALSO: China’s global project is collapsing. Has it divided the world, will it bring down Beijing?
A Chinese coast guard ship entered Taiwan-controlled waters near Kinmen on Tuesday morning. The Taiwanese coast guard sent its own ship to intervene, and after an hour the Chinese vessel was turned back. However, Taiwan’s defense minister called for avoiding escalation and resolving the situation peacefully, and the authorities in Taipei have not yet decided to deploy larger forces on the islands they control near China.
– The Ministry of Defense has coordinated with the Coast Guard to assess the situation and at the same time developed several potential scenarios for our navy and defense forces stationed on the islands – emphasizes Sun Li-Fang, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan. According to experts, the increased pressure from the Middle Kingdom is also related to the recent election of Lai Ching-te as the new president of Taiwan. He is a politician who firmly rejects China’s supremacy, and Beijing itself considers him a separatist.
Facts about the World TVN24 BiS