The Taiwan-registered fishing vessel “Long Jie Man” was harassed by a Chinese coast guard ship in the waters northwest of Magong, Penghu, an outlying island of Taiwan, 60 nautical miles from its centerline on the evening of the 3rd. The Coast Guard Administration of Taiwan has increased patrols and responses to enhance law enforcement protection measures in the area.
The Penghu Branch of the Coast Guard Administration of the Ocean Affairs Council of Taiwan stated in a press release that at 8:35 pm on the 3rd, the 13th (Penghu) Patrol Zone received a distress call from the fishing vessel “Long Jie Man.” The vessel was being interfered with by an unidentified Chinese coast guard ship with searchlights and was gradually approaching in the waters northwest of Magong, Penghu, 60 nautical miles away (34 nautical miles outside the restricted area, 11.5 nautical miles west of the centerline).
Upon receiving the report, the Coast Guard Administration immediately dispatched the “Wei Xing” ship in the southwest sea area, the 3539 boat of the Penghu Coast Guard team, and added the emergency response of the 10091 boat. They also notified the Fisheries Agency to alert nearby fishing vessels to be cautious. By 8:50 pm, the fishing vessel “Long Jie Man” reported that it had sailed away from the area and was no longer being pursued by the Chinese coast guard ship.
Coast Guard vessels have been patrolling the incident area and designated the nearby waters as a key patrol area. They are following standard operating procedures for fisheries protection services, monitoring the maritime situation and vessel movements, and enhancing patrols to respond promptly and improve overall law enforcement protection measures. If Taiwanese fishermen encounter sudden situations at sea, they are advised to immediately call the coast guard service hotline 118 for assistance.
Previously, on February 14th, Chinese speedboats illegally entered the waters near Kinmen and caused a capsizing incident resulting in 2 deaths. Following the Kinmen speedboat incident, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office initially denied the existence of restricted waters in the Kinmen-Xiamen area. However, on February 18th, the Chinese Coast Guard announced the normalization of law enforcement patrols in the Kinmen-Xiamen area by the Fujian Coast Guard Bureau. On the 19th, incidents of forced boarding inspections of Kinmen-Xiamen cruise ships occurred.
Regarding the frequent intrusions of Chinese surveillance ships into the restricted waters near Kinmen, Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense, Gu Li Xiong, pointed out that this action aims to establish a new normal of denying the existence of restricted waters. As non-military ships are involved, the military and coast guard maintain instant communication. If military vessels trespass, they will be handled according to established emergency procedures.