Taipei [Taiwan], May 7 : Four Chinese coast guard ships entered territorial waters off the coast of Kinmen before being driven out by Taiwan Coast Guard vessels, Taiwan News reported on Wednesday.
The Coast Guard said at 3:30 pm on Monday, Chinese coast guard vessels numbered 14608, 14604, 14512, and 14603 navigated into Kinmen's territorial waters. After the Coast Guard dispatched three patrol boats the Chinese vessels withdrew at 4:37 pm.
The Coast Guard said the Chinese coast guard has recently been sailing ships into the waters south of Kinmen. Coast Guard personnel have positioned and dispatched patrol boats to intercept and drive away the Chinese vessels.
Taiwan News reported that the Coast Guard said the waters south of Kinmen are busy with maritime traffic, serving as a crucial thoroughfare, with numerous vessels navigating, entering, and departing ports, as well as anchoring while awaiting port entry. The high-speed navigation by Chinese Coast Guard vessels in these waters has "severely disrupted cross-strait peace and stability, affecting maritime safety and traffic order," said the Coast Guard.
It urged China to cease these actions and to "uphold the principle of reciprocity and mutual respect to jointly maintain maritime order and ensure the safety and well-being of people on both sides of the strait." The Coast Guard said it would continuously monitor the situation in response to China's actions.
The Coast Guard said it maintains a firm law enforcement stance under the principles of "no provocation, no conflict, and no evasion" and will expel Chinese ships entering restricted waters to ensure maritime safety and order.
China's Ministry of National Defense on April 29 said that it has "normalized" patrols by its coast guard in the waters around Taiwan's outer island of Kinmen.
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