TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Coast Guard said an illegal entry attempt by a Chinese man in a raft, followed by the incursion of Chinese coast guard vessels, could be linked to Tuesday's Chinese military exercises.
The Coast Guard reported that at 6:49 a.m., personnel spotted a suspicious rubber raft in the waters near Hanshehua in Kinmen during their morning patrol. Upon reaching Kinmen's shoreline, they apprehended a Chinese national attempting to enter Taiwan unlawfully.
The individual and the boat were taken into custody for further investigation. The case has been referred to the Kinmen District Prosecutors' Office.
At 7:33 a.m., China's Eastern Theater Command Senior Spokesperson Shi Yi (施毅) said the PLA would conduct joint army, navy, and rocket force exercises “that close in on Taiwan island from multiple directions." Shi said the drills focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, seizure of comprehensive control, strikes on maritime and land targets, and “blockade of key areas and sea lanes to test joint operation capabilities of troops.”
At around 8 a.m., radar monitoring detected two Chinese coast guard vessels in restricted waters near Matsu's Xiyin island and another two near Kinmen's Wuqiu Township. The CGA immediately activated its response center and dispatched four patrol boats.
The Fujian coast guard announced at 3 p.m. that it was conducting “law enforcement patrols” in the waters around Matsu's Dongyin Township and Wuqiu. It said the Chinese coast guard vessels conducted identification and verification, inspection and capture drills, and control and expulsion operations.
The CGA said that gray zone harassment by China has become routine and tests Taiwan's response. Given this small illegal entry attempt was intercepted just before China announced its military exercises, followed by the intrusion of Chinese coast guard vessels, the CGA said it could not rule out that this incident was linked to the military drills.
