The Taiwan Coast Guard’s Kinmen, Mazu, and Penghu Branch stated that the Chinese Coast Guard disregarded maritime safety and traffic order by once again intruding into the waters around Kinmen. Following their entry into the Kinmen waters on the 28th, four Chinese Coast Guard vessels entered restricted waters this morning (29th), prompting the Taiwan Coast Guard to dispatch four patrol boats to drive them away.
According to the Taiwan Coast Guard’s Kinmen, Mazu, and Penghu Branch, the maritime areas surrounding Taiwan are currently being affected by Typhoon Conry, with predicted strait wind speeds reaching levels of 9 to 10. The waters south of Kinmen are experiencing severe conditions, with numerous vessels seeking shelter from the storm. Despite these hazardous conditions, the Chinese Coast Guard, in pursuit of its disruptive agenda towards Taiwan, disregarded the safety of passing vessels and maritime traffic order. Following their provocative actions on the 28th, they once again gathered four vessels in the Kinmen restricted waters this morning, seriously disrupting the regional peace and stability as well as maritime traffic order.
The Taiwan Coast Guard’s Kinmen, Mazu, and Penghu Branch reported, “Around 8 a.m. this morning, radar detected three Chinese Coast Guard vessels departing from Xiamen, while another vessel sailed southwest from Quanzhou’s Weitou. As the four Chinese Coast Guard vessels gathered south of Kinmen and approached the outer boundary of our restricted waters, their intentions of intrusion were clear. In response, the Taiwan Coast Guard’s Kinmen, Mazu, and Penghu Branch immediately deployed four patrol boats to deter their entry on a one-on-one basis.”
At 9 a.m. this morning, the Chinese Coast Guard, with the hull numbers “14512,” “14609,” “14603,” and “14602,” navigated into Taiwan’s waters individually from locations such as Fuxing Island, Zhaishan, Luoluo, and Beiding, south of Kinmen. “Our four patrol boats moved forward in response to their positions, continuously broadcasting messages to the Chinese Coast Guard vessels in both Chinese and English,” “firmly declaring our enforcement stance and urging them to leave our waters immediately. Under the surveillance and broadcasted warnings of our patrol boats, the Chinese Coast Guard vessels sailed out at 11 a.m., lasting approximately 2 hours.”
“The Chinese Coast Guard vessels have crossed into our Kinmen waters in formations for two consecutive days, totaling up to 48 intrusions this year.” The Taiwan Coast Guard emphasized that such actions by the Chinese Coast Guard have heightened tensions between the two sides, severely dividing the emotions of people in both regions and hindering equal exchanges between the two sides. They particularly stressed that with the arrival of the northeasterly wind and typhoons, poor maritime conditions should prioritize the safety of lives and properties, and a responsible attitude is required to jointly maintain maritime safety and traffic order.
The Taiwan Coast Guard urged the Chinese side to cease similar provocative actions that disrupt cross-strait peace. “The Coast Guard will continue to uphold the principles of non-provocation, non-conflict, non-avoidance, non-retreat, and fearlessness, resolutely safeguarding our maritime safety and order, and wholeheartedly defending national sovereignty and rights.”