On February 14th, a mainland Chinese “three no” speedboat (without a boat name, boat certificate, and port of registry) illegally entered the waters near Kinmen, Taiwan, and was chased by Taiwanese Coast Guard personnel. The boat refused inspection, swerved, and capsized, resulting in 2 deaths and 4 people falling into the sea.
The Control Yuan of the Republic of China found significant shortcomings in the handling of the incident by the Coast Guard Administration and has issued corrections. The Coast Guard Administration has stated that they will continue to review and strengthen their evidence collection procedures, as well as continue to crack down on mainland Chinese vessels crossing into Taiwanese waters to safeguard the rights of Taiwanese citizens.
The Control Yuan’s committee members, Lai Dingming, Guo Wendong, and Pu Zhongcheng, released a statement indicating that the Coast Guard Administration violated various regulations during the enforcement process, including the “Coastal Patrol Agency’s Maritime Law Enforcement Operations Regulations.” The investigation found that the Coast Guard did not properly conduct video evidence collection and reporting as required by regulations in this case.
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the Coast Guard’s patrol CP boat was operating independently, failing to adhere to the principle of joint duty with a mother ship. The Control Yuan concluded that the Coast Guard’s management failures in this case made it difficult to establish responsibility, ascertain the facts accurately, and uphold proper law enforcement practices.
In addition, it was found that when the Coast Guard procured the CP boats, each boat was equipped with 4 recorders. However, during a review of products from mainland Chinese brands in 2022, the equipment was sealed off without timely replenishment, creating a gap in evidence collection equipment. This led to enforcement personnel being unable to effectively enforce regulations, placing frontline officers at risk.
The Control Yuan recommended a comprehensive review of communication reporting procedures as the Coast Guard did not utilize wireless communication in this incident. The feasibility of implementing new reporting regulations was suggested for further evaluation. The Coast Guard, as the frontline in grey-zone conflicts, should proactively review administrative issues such as regulations, equipment at the grassroots level, and discipline to reduce law enforcement disputes and safeguard national security and sovereignty.
The Coast Guard Administration of Taiwan responded by stating that during the February 14 incident, the collision with the mainland Chinese “three no” speedboat in the waters near Kinmen was fully cooperated with the investigation. The Kinmen District Prosecutor’s Office issued a non-prosecution ruling on August 15, confirming that Coast Guard law enforcement personnel did not have intentional or negligent liability.
Regarding the Control Yuan’s corrections related to failure to collect evidence and report incidents, as well as the delay in replenishing recorders, the Coast Guard Administration expressed respect and a sense of responsibility. They have comprehensively reviewed law enforcement procedures and have equipped each duty officer with a miniature camera since August 22. Furthermore, fixed external monitoring and recording equipment will be installed on all ships by the end of December to strengthen evidence collection measures.
The Taiwan Coast Guard reaffirmed their commitment to lawfully crack down on mainland Chinese vessels entering Taiwanese waters and protect the rights of Taiwanese citizens. They urged the public to continue supporting their firm law enforcement actions to ensure national sovereignty and maritime rights.