UNS/ Reuters :Taiwan on Saturday warned off Chinese coast guard ships that entered its restricted waters near frontline islands close to China for a second day in a row, as tensions simmer across the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s coast guard said four Chinese coast guard boats on Saturday morning entered the restricted waters of Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, which hug the Chinese coast. It said the Chinese boats stayed just over an hour after Taiwan authorities asked them to leave.
China says democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the island’s strong objections. It has stepped up military activities near Taiwan in recent years, with almost daily incursions into air defence identification zones.
“You have entered our country’s restricted waters. Please turn around immediately,” a Taiwan official said via radio in a broadcast message to their Chinese counterparts, according to footage released on Saturday by Taiwan’s coast guard.
The footage shows a Taiwan coast guard boat tracking the movement of two Chinese ships in the near distance.
“The move has seriously impacted traffic and safety. To avoid triggering naval incidents we urge them to stop such behaviours,” Taiwan’s coast guard said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from China’s coast guard, which does not have publicly available contact details.
China’s coast guard conducted patrols near the Kinmen Islands on Friday as well, with four Chinese coast guard boats being warned away by their Taiwanese counterparts, according to Taiwan’s official Central News Agency.
Last month, China’s coast guard began regular patrols around Kinmen, after two Chinese nationals died while trying to flee Taiwan’s coast guard after their boat entered prohibited waters.
