Taiwan and China have set aside tensions to collaborate on a search-and-rescue mission for two missing crew members Thursday. This follows the capsizing of a Chinese fishing vessel near a Taiwanese island, which tragically resulted in two fatalities.
Taiwan’s coast guard received a distress call around 6:00 am on Thursday and deployed four patrol vessels to the scene southwest of Kinmen Island’s Dongding islet. The capsized vessel, carrying six people, had sunk roughly 1.07 nautical miles from the location.
This joint effort comes amidst heightened tensions between the two sides. Just last month, a similar incident near Kinmen resulted in the deaths of two Chinese fishermen during a pursuit by the Taiwanese coast guard.
Despite the political complexities, both sides contributed to the rescue operation. Taiwan deployed four patrol vessels, while China sent in six rescue ships. The combined efforts resulted in the rescue of two crew members, but unfortunately, two others were found deceased.
Kinmen Island, administered by Taiwan, lies just a few kilometers off the coast of the Chinese city of Xiamen. The February incident, where a Chinese fishing boat capsized during a Taiwanese coast guard chase, remains a point of contention. A survivor from that incident claimed their vessel was “rammed,” while Taiwan maintains the coast guard acted appropriately as the boat had entered restricted waters.
Beijing has accused Taiwan of attempting to deflect blame and conceal the truth surrounding the February incident. Meanwhile, a Taiwanese coast guard official has stated that the February capsizing occurred when the vessel, while attempting to evade a patrol vessel, swerved erratically and lost balance.
Since the February incident, Taiwan’s coast guard has reported an increased presence of Chinese vessels, averaging six to seven, in the waters surrounding Kinmen Island.
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