Taiwan’s coastguard asks for more surveillance funds after mainland boats breach defences
Agency aims to improve maritime security after surge in mainland Chinese landings at sensitive sites
The pair turned themselves in the next morning, claiming they were fleeing persecution and seeking freedom in Taiwan.
Also on Tuesday, just before Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te marked his first year in office, the island’s coastguard arrested two mainland Chinese nationals who were attempting to covertly land on a tiny islet in the Taiwan-controlled Quemoy archipelago using a small sampan. Quemoy is also known as Kinmen.
Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy head of Taiwan’s coastguard administration, said that the pair set off from Pingtan in coastal Fujian province, about 70 nautical miles (130km) from Taiwan. They used a main fuel tank and two 20-litre (5.30-gallon) backup containers – a “reasonable” estimate for the crossing, Hsieh said in Taipei on Monday.