TAIPEI (TVBS News) — China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday (Feb. 14) strongly condemned Taiwan for its "harsh and dangerous" treatment of their fishermen, fueled by an incident resulting in the death of two men after a Chinese speedboat capsized in Kinmen waters.
The mainland speedboat, carrying four individuals, had breached the Kinmen maritime boundary that day, and was pursued by members of Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration. After refusing inspection, the craft turned tortuously, capsizing and leading to two fatalities.
Four crew members of the capsized vessel were rescued at the scene by coast guards and then transported to the Kinmen Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Two of the four had lost consciousness and were subsequently declared dead despite resuscitation attempts.
Spokesperson for the TAO, Zhu Fenglian expressed, "We convey deep mourning and sincere condolences to the victims and their families, expressing strong condemnation to Taiwan for the occurrence of such a serious incident that severely hurts the feelings of compatriots on both sides during the Lunar New Year holiday."
Zhu further stated that they had demanded Taiwan to promptly investigate the truth of the incident and assist the families of the deceased fishermen.
"We solemnly warn relevant Taiwanese parties to respect the historical facts of operation in traditional fishing areas in the Taiwan Strait by fishermen from across the Strait, to ensure the personal safety of mainland fishermen, and to effectively prevent such incidents from happening again," she emphasized.