Taiwan Urges China to Release Fishing Boat Detained by China's Coast Guard

Tensions between Taiwan and China have once again flared, following the detention of a Taiwanese fishing vessel by the Chinese coast guard. 

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday night, has sparked a heated response from Taiwan, urging the immediate release of the boat and its crew.

The Taiwanese fishing boat, Tachinman 88, was intercepted by two Chinese coast guard vessels near the Kinmen islands, a group of frontline islands controlled by Taipei but located just miles from the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou. 

According to Taiwan’s coast guard, the vessel and its five crew members were detained and escorted to a nearby Chinese port. 

In a statement, Taiwan’s coast guard detailed the sequence of events, noting that three Taiwan coast guard vessels responded to a distress call from the Tachinman 88. 

However, they retreated to avoid conflict when they found themselves outnumbered by the Chinese coast guard vessels. 

China’s coast guard confirmed the detention, stating that its Fujian division had "lawfully boarded, inspected, and detained a Taiwanese fishing vessel suspected of illegal fishing in the offshore waters near Quanzhou." 

Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun accused the Taiwanese boat of violating a summer fishing moratorium by using trawl nets in a prohibited area and employing nets with mesh sizes much smaller than China’s national minimum requirements, thereby "damaging marine fisheries resources and the ecological environment."

The incident comes amidst heightened tensions around the Kinmen islands, which, while controlled by Taiwan, are situated perilously close to the Chinese mainland. 

China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as its territory, despite never having controlled it, and has vowed to unify with the island, by force if necessary. 

The pressure on Taipei has intensified since President Lai Ching-te, considered a "dangerous separatist" by Beijing, led the Democratic Progressive Party to a historic third consecutive term in power earlier this year.

In a news conference, Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director general of Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration, highlighted that the Taiwanese vessel was detained during an annual summer fishing ban implemented by China in May. 

The boat, operating 11.2 nautical miles from the mainland coast in China’s territorial waters, had two Taiwanese and three Indonesian crew members on board.

Taiwan’s coast guard has called for the immediate release of the Tachinman 88 and its crew, condemning the detention as an act of political manipulation that undermines cross-strait relations. 

“The Coast Guard Administration calls on China not to engage in political manipulation, which undermines cross-strait relations, and it should release the Tachinman 88 vessel and its crew immediately,” read the Taiwanese statement.

Since February, China’s coast guard has increased patrols in the waters around Kinmen and other outlying islands controlled by Taiwan. 

This escalation followed an incident where two Chinese fishermen drowned while being chased by Taiwan’s coast guard, who accused them of trespassing. 

In late February, an unprecedented move saw Chinese coast guard officers intercept and board a Taiwanese tourist boat for inspection, startling Taiwanese passengers. 

Taiwanese legislator Chen Yu-jen, who represents Kinmen for Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang party, noted that since then, fishermen in the islands have been cautious not to cross into China’s territorial waters due to increased patrols. 

“Both sides of the Taiwan Strait do not currently have a warm relationship, so we should be more careful about staying inside our own waters,” she told.

Chen also pointed out that, historically, the coast guard would usually expel fishing vessels that crossed the maritime border, but now it is strictly enforcing the law. 

This shift in enforcement policy has exacerbated the already strained relations between the two sides, with the latest incident further complicating the delicate dynamics of cross-strait interactions.

The detention of the Tachinman 88 is a stark reminder of the fragile and tense relationship between Taiwan and China. 

As both sides navigate this complex situation, the international community watches closely, hoping for a resolution that will prevent further escalation and ensure the safety and rights of those involved.