Multiple Chinese vessels, aircraft spotted off Taiwan amid tensions over deadly boat sinking

As the dispute between Taiwan and China over a deadly fishing boat incident rages on, the island nation’s defence ministry stated on Wednesday that eleven Chinese navy warships had been spotted in the area. This is the greatest number of Chinese naval vessels seen this year.

On February 14, while being chased by the Taiwanese coast guard, a Chinese speedboat carrying four individuals overturned, plunging everyone on board into the water.

Just five kilometers (three miles) from the Chinese city of Xiamen, Kinmen is a territory governed by Taipei, where two of the crew members perished and the other two were rescued and placed under temporary custody.

Tensions between China and Taiwan, an independent island that Beijing claims is a portion of its territory, were already high at the time of the event.

According to a survivor, the boat was “rammed” upon reaching the mainland, however Taiwan maintains that the coast guard was acting in accordance with legal protocols.

Taiwan’s defence ministry reported that China had launched 15 warplanes, 11 naval vessels, and one balloon into the waters and sky surrounding the island in the 24 hours before 6:00 am on Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday).

Since then, at least 15 more Chinese jets have been found, according to the ministry.

As the dispute between the island and China over a deadly fishing boat incident rages on, Taipei’s defense ministry stated on Wednesday that eleven Chinese navy warships had been spotted in the area. This is the greatest number of Chinese naval vessels seen this year.

Taiwan’s official statistics indicates that the number of Chinese naval ships saw in a 24-hour period was greater than the typical four to six, and the highest so far this year.

In the lead-up to Taiwan’s January presidential election, which was won by Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has referred to as a “separatist,” eleven Chinese naval boats were spotted in the country’s vicinity in December.

Four Chinese coast guard boats and one Chinese maritime surveillance ship temporarily entered restricted or forbidden waters near Kinmen on Monday, according to Kuan Bi-ling, minister of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, which is in charge of the coast guard.

Regarding the event on February 14, Taiwanese officials have been accused by Beijing of “trying to evade their responsibilities and hide the truth,” however a coast guard spokesman in Taiwan claims the boat involved was zigzagging, “lost its balance and capsized” while trying to evade a patrol vessel.