Taiwan Urges China To Free Detained Fishers
Taiwan is urging China to release two Taiwanese and three Indonesian fishers detained by China's coast guard after their fishing boat crossed into Chinese territorial waters on Tuesday. The boat was escorted to the Chinese port of Weitou, where they are being held.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Crossing the Line A new flashpoint in the Taiwan Strait after
00:04a Taiwanese fishing vessel was boarded and detained by China's coastguard Tuesday night.
00:10The boat, containing a crew of five, was then escorted to the Chinese port of Hueto after
00:15crossing into Chinese territorial waters. Taiwan's coastguard said they tried to intercept
00:20the vessel as it was being taken away, but eventually backed down to avoid escalation.
00:26Now they're urging China to exercise restraint and to let the fishers go.
00:44It's the most recent in a string of incidents involving fishers and coastguard in the waters
00:49between the two countries. In February, two Chinese fishers drowned in Taiwanese waters
00:54after being chased by Taiwan's coastguard. Then, in March, a Taiwanese fisher was detained
00:59for floating into Chinese waters. He's yet to be allowed to return home.
01:05Politicians are weighing in on the increasing tensions, saying China is deliberately pushing
01:09the boundaries with Taiwan.
01:25And Taiwan's coastguard are warning vessels still operating in the area to stay alert,
01:31commenting on the often arbitrary way fishing boats are targeted in an area where accidental
01:36incursions are common.
01:38Why do we only pick one? It's the same as when we do our work at sea. Sometimes it's
01:45random. It depends on the situation. There's no specific reason.
01:50In light of recent escalations, both sides have been beefing up maritime security. Taiwan's
01:56coastguard has recorded over 500 Chinese incursions since the beginning of the year, accusing
02:02Beijing of normalising such behaviour. It's a trend that seems set to continue as more
02:08vessels operate in the Taiwan Strait.
02:11Eason Chen and Rhys Ayres for Taiwan Plus.