Taiwan says 11 Chinese coast guard ships, 3 fishing boats enter Kinmen’s restricted waters

Taipei [Taiwan], May 10 (ANI): As many as 11 Chinese coast guard ships and three fishing boats entered Kinmen’s prohibited and restricted waters in two convoys, Taiwan News reported.

The Taiwan’s Coast Guard detected the Chinese ships south of Kinmen’s water at Thursday noon (local time). As many as seven Chinese coast guard ships along with three Chinese shipping boats suspected of conducting exercises with them entered restricted waters approximately 7 kilometres southwest of Kinmen.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard dispatched three patrol boats to monitor and issue warnings to 10 Chinese ships, according to Taiwan News report.

At the same time, four Chinese coast guard ships entered the prohibited and restricted waters south of Kinmen. In response to Chinese activity, the Taiwan coast guard deployed another three patrol boats to monitor the situation.

Shadowed by Coast Guard patrol boats, the Chinese ships left Kinmen waters by 4:30 pm (local time), Taiwan News reported. According to Taiwan’s Coast Guard, it was the fourth intrusion by Chinese coast guard ships into waters around Kinmen in May.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard stated that the southern waters of Kinmen are important shipping lanes with heavy maritime traffic, the report said.

It further said that the repeated high-speed formations of Chinese vessels have affected Cross-Strait peace and stability and endangered maritime safety, obstructing peaceful exchanges between Taiwan and China.

Earlier on May 6, four Chinese coast guard ships entered territorial waters off the coast of Kinmen before being driven out by Taiwan Coast Guard vessels, Taiwan News reported.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard Chinese coast guard vessels numbered 14608, 14604, 14512, and 14603 navigated into Kinmen’s territorial waters on Monday. After the Coast Guard dispatched three patrol boats the Chinese vessels withdrew at 4:37 pm (local time).

The Coast Guard said the Chinese coast guard has recently been sailing ships into the waters south of Kinmen. Taiwan Coast Guard personnel have positioned and dispatched patrol boats to intercept and drive away the Chinese vessels.

The report said that the Coast Guard said the waters south of Kinmen are busy with maritime traffic, serving as a crucial thoroughfare, with numerous vessels navigating, entering, and departing ports, as well as anchoring while awaiting port entry, Taiwan News reported.

The high-speed navigation by Chinese Coast Guard vessels in these waters has “severely disrupted cross-strait peace and stability, affecting maritime safety and traffic order,” Taiwan’s Coast Guard said.

It urged China to cease these actions and to “uphold the principle of reciprocity and mutual respect to jointly maintain maritime order and ensure the safety and well-being of people on both sides of the strait.”

Taiwan’s Coast Guard said it would continuously monitor the situation in response to China’s actions. The Coast Guard said it maintains a firm law enforcement stance under the principles of “no provocation, no conflict, and no evasion” and will expel Chinese ships entering restricted waters to ensure maritime safety and order.