Taiwan warns Chinese ships to turn around immediately

Taiwan warned Chinese coastguard ships to “turn around immediately” after they entered restricted waters near its frontline islands for a second day in a row.

Taiwan’s coastguard said four Chinese coastguard boats on Saturday morning entered the restricted waters of the Kinmen Islands, which hug the Chinese coast. It said the Chinese boats stayed just over an hour after Taiwan authorities asked them to leave.

China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the island’s strong objections. It has stepped up military activities near Taiwan in recent years, with almost daily incursions into air defence identification zones.

“You have entered our country’s restricted waters. Please turn around immediately,” a Taiwan official said via radio in a broadcast message to their Chinese counterparts, according to footage released on Saturday by Taiwan’s coastguard.

The footage shows a Taiwan coastguard boat tracking the movement of two Chinese ships in the near distance.

“The move has seriously impacted traffic and safety. To avoid triggering naval incidents we urge them to stop such behaviours,” Taiwan’s coastguard said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from China’s coastguard, which does not have publicly available contact details.

China’s coastguard conducted patrols near the Kinmen Islands on Friday as well, with four Chinese coastguard boats being warned away by their Taiwanese counterparts, according to Taiwan’s official Central News Agency.

Last month, China’s coastguard began regular patrols around Kinmen, after two Chinese nationals died while trying to flee Taiwan’s coastguard after their boat entered prohibited waters.

Taiwan dispatched coastguard boats on Thursday to join a rescue mission at China’s request after a Chinese fishing vessel capsized near the Kinmen Islands. Taiwan’s government has stressed the importance of co-operation between Taiwan and China amid the heightened tensions.

On Friday, Taiwan also sent several boats at China’s request to help search for a Chinese fisherman who went overboard near the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands, in the northern end of the Taiwan Strait.

A senior Taiwan security official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that Beijing is sending out “confusing” messages by continuing its harassment of Taiwan, while also asking for Taipei’s assistance on dealing with maritime incidents.

The official said the latest moves by the Chinese coastguard in Kinmen “did not carry substantial security threats” but complicated the situation there.

“We are clueless,” the official said. “We tried to save their fishermen yesterday and today they are baring their teeth and claws.”

Last week, Taiwan’s top China policy-making body urged its giant neighbour not to change the “status quo” in waters near Kinmen by sending coastguard boats into restricted areas.