China considers the democratically-ruled Taiwan part of its territory and has said it will not rule out using force to take control of the island.
The Chinese vessels entered the waters south of Taiwan’s Jinmen Island, 5 km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at around 3.30pm on Monday. (local time, 10:30 a.m. Lithuanian time), the Taiwan Coast Guard said in a statement. The agency said the vessels “departed our restricted and restricted waters” about an hour later, and called on Beijing to immediately end “behavior that endangers the safety of navigation.”
In recent years, China has increased the presence of aircraft and naval vessels around Taiwan.
Monday’s incident was reported two weeks before May 20. upcoming inaugurations of Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te. Like outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, Lai Ching-te rejects China’s claims to Taiwan. Beijing considers current Vice President Lai Ching-te a “dangerous separatist”.
Beijing has also vowed to step up patrols around Taipei-administered Jinmen after a series of fatal fishing accidents earlier this year.
February 14 a Chinese speedboat carrying four people capsized near Jinmen, which was being chased by the Taiwan Coast Guard at the time. Two people died.
Another Chinese ship capsized there in March, also killing two crew members.
Taiwan’s coast guard defended its actions, saying the ship was in “prohibited waters” and was zigzagging before capsizing. But Beijing accused Taipei of “hiding the truth” about the incident.
Defense Ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters on Tuesday that Taiwan would increase support for its coast guard in the form of surveillance and reconnaissance of Chinese vessels entering the island’s restricted waters.
