The Taiwan Ocean Affairs Council Coast Guard Administration stated on the 25th that Chinese Coast Guard ships have intruded into the waters near Kinmen Island 60 times over the past year. On the 25th, four Chinese Coast Guard ships were once again found intruding, prompting the immediate dispatch of four patrol boats to escort them away.
According to the Chinese Coast Guard Bureau, the Fujian Coast Guard conducted routine law enforcement patrols near Kinmen on the 25th, claiming that since February, they have been strengthening law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen to further enhance control in the area.
The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration expressed that the continuous intrusion of Chinese Coast Guard ships into the waters near Kinmen has become a regular occurrence, with the total number reaching 60 incidents to date. Such provocative actions have become normalized. The Taiwan Coast Guard has never let its guard down, maintaining a firm and cautious stance, consistently monitoring the movements of Chinese Coast Guard ships at sea. Immediate deployment is ensured in response to any situation to safeguard national security.
The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration emphasized that with the ongoing threats posed by China to Taiwan, the Kinmen Coast Guard once again confronted the Chinese Coast Guard. Despite severe weather conditions with wind gusts exceeding level 10 in the Kinmen area last week, the 12th patrol district and its respective teams remained vigilant, effectively monitoring maritime targets. On the 25th, with improved weather conditions, the Taiwan Coast Guard detected several Chinese Coast Guard ships departing from Xiamen around 9 a.m. Consequently, patrol boats were promptly mobilized to deploy along the demarcation line to respond accordingly.
In the afternoon around 2 p.m., the Taiwan Coast Guard’s 12th patrol district spotted four Chinese Coast Guard ships identified as “14602,” “14605,” “14515,” and “14608” approaching the southern waters of Kinmen from the outer sea. By 2:55 p.m., these ships had sailed into Taiwanese waters from two different locations – the southeastern part of Kinmen and the southwestern part of Dasha Island. They then formed a formation to intrude into the waters around Kinmen.
The four pre-positioned patrol boats of the Taiwan Coast Guard immediately set out to monitor and escort the Chinese vessels. Through radio communication in both Chinese and English, the Chinese Coast Guard ships were instructed to change course and leave. After being escorted away by the Taiwan Coast Guard, the Chinese vessels sailed out of the restricted waters around Kinmen by 5 p.m.