- Li Chengxin
- BBC Chinese Correspondent
7 hours ago
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The outside world is concerned about whether the capsized speedboat accident will turn the Jinxia waters into a point of conflict between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
A mainland Chinese speedboat recently broke into Kinmen waters and capsized after being pursued by the Taiwan Coast Guard, killing two people. The outside world is paying attention to whether the incident will affect cross-strait relations.
The China Coast Guard has recently announced that it will carry out “regular law enforcement and patrol operations” in the Xiamen-Jinjiang waters. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council pointed out that there are no so-called “prohibited or restricted waters” in the Xiamen-Jinjiang waters.
Taiwan emphasized that the Coast Guard had a solid basis for enforcing the law against the “Three No Ships” that crossed the border and had not committed any vicious acts. It would also assist the families of the two deceased persons to go to Kinmen to deal with the aftermath.
Many scholars analyzed the Chinese version of the BBC and pointed out that officials on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have been restrained and low-key after this incident and are not expected to escalate to a “military confrontation.” However, the jurisdiction and law enforcement actions in the Kinmen waters highlight the subtle changes in cross-Strait relations.
What do the officials on both sides of the Taiwan Strait say?
According to news from the WeChat public account “China Coast Guard” on February 18, China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu said that the Fujian Coast Guard will strengthen its maritime law enforcement forces and carry out regular law enforcement patrols in the Xiamen-Jinjiang waters to further safeguard the relevant waters. Maintain order in operations and safeguard the safety of fishermen’s lives and property.
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Video: Chinese fishing boat capsized in Kinmen waters and two died when it was driven away by Taiwan
The night before, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, wrote in writing that the vicious incident in which Taiwan violently drove away a mainland fishing boat and resulted in the death of two fishermen caused strong indignation from all walks of life in the mainland and seriously hurt the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. There is no such thing as “prohibited or restricted waters” for traditional fishing operations in the Xiamen-Jinjiang waters.”
She urged Taiwan to release the ship and people as soon as possible, do a good job in the aftermath, find out the truth and deal with those responsible seriously, and give an explanation to the families of the victims and the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. “The mainland reserves the right to take further measures, and all consequences will be borne by Taiwan.” Party shall be responsible for it”.
“Liberty Times” quoted an informed Taiwan official as saying that the Taiwan Affairs Office’s statement was “very unfriendly,” emphasizing that the Chinese speedboat broke into Taiwan’s restricted waters and that the patrol officers were performing their duties in accordance with the law. The official also pointed out that the remains of the two deceased people are in Kinmen. The Taiwan government will assist the families of the Chinese victims to come to Taiwan. They are waiting for the list of people to enter Taiwan from the other side of the Taiwan Strait. After obtaining the documents, they can go to Kinmen via the Little Three Link.
Previously, Taiwan Ocean Commission Chairman Kuan Bi-ling said that the cross-border fishing vessel involved was a “three-no vessel”, that is, it had no vessel name, no vessel certificate, and no vessel registration. It was an object of concern and intensified crackdowns in the coordinated law enforcement between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The Coast Guard The law enforcement was well-founded and no malignant behavior was committed.
The Mainland Affairs Council stated that in recent days, a number of sub-mainland fishing boats have continuously entered Taiwan’s restricted or prohibited waters to catch high-value fish during the Chinese New Year, which has seriously infringed on the rights and interests of Taiwanese fishermen and the lives of coastal residents. “In order to protect the public, maritime patrol officers It is our duty to strengthen enforcement of our rights.”
On the afternoon of the 14th, the Kinmapeng Branch of the Taiwan Coast Guard received a report from the public that a Chinese “unnamed” speedboat was fishing across the prohibited waters in Beiding Island, Kinmen. The authorities went to deal with it in accordance with the law. After refusing inspection, the speedboat capsized and four people on board were killed. The Chinese crew fell into the sea, and two of them died after being sent to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Analysis: Beijing retains flexibility
Kinmen and Xiamen are only 5 kilometers apart. The outside world is concerned about whether the capsized speedboat accident will turn the Jinmen-Xiamen waters into a conflict point between the two sides.
Huang Jiezheng, a professor at the Institute of International Affairs and Strategy at Tamkang University in Taiwan, told the BBC Chinese analysis that both sides of the Taiwan Strait exercised restraint after the incident and reduced politicization. “Taiwan is focusing on humanitarian assistance, but the mainland only wants us to investigate the truth and has not denied us.” law enforcement authority.”
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Kinmen and Xiamen are only 5 kilometers apart.
Zhuang Jiaying, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore and researcher at the Carnegie China Project, also pointed out that Beijing did not conduct a lot of publicity this time and handled it in a relatively low-key manner. “Perhaps it is to test Taiwan’s reaction, but to retain flexibility for itself.” He also said that in fact, any fishing boat operating at sea is prone to accidents because it has to evade law enforcement. Similar situations have occurred in the waters of Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam or Malaysia, including the case of Chinese fishing boats.
Song Wendi, China researcher at the Atlantic Council, said that the accident itself was an unfortunate tragedy, and its political nature remains to be seen. He believed that the Chinese government’s response seemed to be a “delayed high-profile response,” presumably because the incident occurred during the Lunar New Year holiday. , the authorities need time to make a coordinated cross-departmental response, but there is no indication that Beijing intends to escalate military confrontation.
As for the mainland’s announcement of “normalized law enforcement and inspection operations,” Huang Jiezheng believes that this move does not mean that the situation has escalated. In fact, in the past, the coast patrol and coast guard of both sides of the Taiwan Strait conducted joint search and rescue exercises in the Kinmen waters every year. “The two sides are currently in confrontation, and the officials on both sides of the Taiwan Strait cannot In the case of dialogue and negotiation, each can only do its own thing.”
Zhuang Jiaying said that China should hope to approach the waters controlled by Taiwan and weaken Taiwan’s substantive jurisdiction capabilities, which will reflect subtle changes in cross-strait relations. “During the period from Mao Zedong to Hu Jintao, they did not challenge Taiwan’s islands near the Chinese coast such as Kinmen and Matsu. Basically, they hoped to maintain relations between Taiwan and China. Weakening Taiwan’s offshore jurisdiction capabilities in China to a certain extent will only highlight the cross-strait issues. actual distance.”
He continued that the Chinese government claims that there are no “prohibited or restricted waters” in the Xiamen-Jinjiang waters, which basically does not recognize Taiwan’s jurisdiction. However, this will only make the fishermen on the front line more dangerous and “may increase navigation risks. Because ships and crews may not fully understand the conditions they may encounter at sea.”
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2024-02-18 08:38:52
