According to a Taiwan minister briefing reporters on Tuesday, five Chinese coast guard vessels trespassed into restricted or prohibited waters surrounding Taiwan's frontline island of Kinmen on Monday, further exacerbating tensions amid the ongoing friction with Beijing.
The incursion by China's coast guard comes in the wake of heightened scrutiny and patrols in the vicinity of the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, situated near China's mainland. This escalated vigilance follows an incident where two Chinese nationals lost their lives while attempting to evade Taiwan's coast guard after unlawfully entering restricted maritime zones.
Kuan Bi-ling, the chief of Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, informed reporters that the Chinese vessels departed the area promptly upon being instructed to do so by Taiwan's Coast Guard.
Taiwan, governed democratically but claimed by China, remains vigilant against Beijing's concerted efforts to exert pressure on Taipei, particularly following the recent presidential election victory of Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing regards as a contentious proponent of separatism.
In another incident last week, six Chinese coast guard officers boarded a Taiwanese tourist vessel carrying 11 crew members and 23 passengers to scrutinize its route plan, documentation, and crew credentials. They disembarked approximately thirty minutes later, according to Taiwan's coast guard.
