TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Coast Guard Administration Deputy Director-General Chang Chung-lung confirmed on Wednesday (March 13) that three Chinese fishing vessels had entered Taiwan's territorial waters off Miaoli on March 6.
Wang Cheng-hsin, the Central Branch Director of the Coast Guard Administration, said the Coast Guard had radars monitoring the situation from the start. Due to bad weather conditions, patrol boats were withdrawn, and a Yilan warship was dispatched to the scene.
Two of the vessels left voluntarily, and the third was driven away, Wang revealed.
During a business report held by the Internal Administration Committee a day earlier, Wang said that as of 7 a.m. on March 6, the three Chinese fishing boats were under full surveillance when they entered waters 12 nautical miles off the coast.
Around 2 p.m., they moved into waters six nautical miles offshore. After receiving reports from local fishermen, a 100-ton patrol boat was dispatched to drive them away. But, considering the severe maritime conditions, the patrol boat was requested to withdraw.
The next day, two fishing boats fled off the coast of Da Tan. The third continued north and was eventually driven away by the Yilan warship that was called to the scene.