IED event in Taiwan, Province of China on Fri 1st March 2024

Eleven #Chinese vessels detected around #Taiwan's Kinmen islands MORE THAN USUAL: The number of naval ships in the area was more than the usual four to six in a 24-hour window and the highest so far this year, data showed Eleven Chinese naval vessels were detected around Taiwan, the highest daily number this year, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday as a row between Taipei and Beijing over a fatal fishing boat incident drags on. In the 24 hours leading up to 6am yesterday, China deployed 15 warplanes, 11 naval vessels and one balloon in the waters and skies around Taiwan, the ministry said. At least 15 more Chinese warplanes had been detected since then, it said. The number of Chinese naval ships was more than the usual four to six in a 24-hour window and the highest so far this year, ministry data showed. On Dec. 11 last year, Chinese naval vessels were detected around Taiwan in the run-up to the presidential election on Jan. 13, which was won by Vice President William Lai (賴清德), who Beijing has called a “separatist.” On Monday, a Chinese maritime surveillance ship and four China Coast Guard boats briefly entered prohibited or restricted waters around Kinmen County, Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. Separately, the Chinese government yesterday said that its patrols around the islands of Kinmen were “beyond reproach” and dismissed complaints that the boarding of a Taiwanese tourist boat had caused panic. Taipei last week said a Taiwanese tourist boat operating from Kinmen had been boarded briefly by China Coast Guard personnel, triggering “panic.” Moreover, five Chinese ships had entered prohibited or controlled waters at the time, it said. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) yesterday told a regular news briefing in Beijing that her government does not recognize any off-limit demarcations for Chinese fishers around Kinmen. Moreover, the China Coast Guard did not cause alarm by boarding the tourist boat, Zhu said. “I don’t think there is any issue of panic,” she said, adding that the China Coast Guard carries out its official duties in “their own waters” in accordance with the law to maintain “normal order” and protect the lives of fishers and travelers. Taiwan was to blame for its dangerous enforcement actions, she said. “The relevant parties in Taiwan should respect the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait have been operating in traditional waters for a long time, and stop seizing and detaining mainland fishing boats in a rough and dangerous manner,” she said, apparently referring to the death of two men after a maritime incident near Kinmen last week. A Chinese speedboat carrying four people capsized on Feb. 14 near Kinmen County while being pursued by a Coast Guard Administration vessel, throwing them into the water. Two crew from the speedboat died and the other two were pulled from the water and detained before being deported back to China. One of those deported reportedly said that the boat was “rammed.” Taiwan said its coast guard was following legitimate procedures. Beijing has accused Taiwanese authorities of “seeking to evade their responsibilities and hiding the truth” about the Feb. 14 incident.