Analysis: China’s coast guard has triggered ‘panic’ in Taiwan. That’s only part of Beijing’s plan | CNN
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Chinese coast guard’s increased patrols are Beijing’s latest effort to tilt the status quo in its favor by undermining Taiwan’s control of the around its outlying islands, analysts say.

King Xia, a Taiwanese tourist boat, was taking 23 passengers on a journey around Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen Islands just miles from China’s southeastern coast when it was intercepted by two Chinese coast guard vessels.

Six Chinese officers swooped onboard, checking the vessel’s route plan, certificate and the licenses of its 11 crew members in a “forced” inspection that lasted about half an hour, according to Taiwan’s coast guard, which said King Xia had “veered toward” the Chinese side of the water to avoid shoals.

The unprecedented encounter with Chinese law enforcement at a time of heightened tension between Beijing and Taipei startled Taiwanese passengers onboard.

  • JustinAEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I’m aware that this incident happened on the Kinmen islands, but the article says that the boat had veered into PRC waters. You cannot veer into foreign waters and assume that foreign law does not apply to you. If a Moroccan boat in the Gibraltar strait crossed that 5km boundary between Morroccan waters and Spanish waters, I would think that the Spanish coast guard and Frontex would be boarding that boat.

    I’m not familiar with coast guard procedure around Kimmin, and I understand that the situation is escalating, but it just seems weird to dismiss territorial waters like that.