Two Chinese fishermen drown after chase with Taiwan’s coast guard

Two Chinese fishermen drowned while being chased by Taiwan’s Coast Guard off the coast of Taiwan’s Kinmen archipelago, the coast guard said Wednesday.

BANGKOK — Two Chinese fishermen drowned while being chased by Taiwan’s coast guard off Taiwan’s Kinmen archipelago, the coast guard said Wednesday while accusing them of trespassing.

The deaths are unusual despite the level of Chinese activity in the waters near Kinmen, which is closer to China than it is to Taiwan’s main island. China claims all of Taiwan as part of its territory.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office strongly condemned the deaths and called for an investigation, saying “such a malicious event during the Spring Festival seriously hurts the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.” Both China and Taiwan are celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday.

The statement accused the governing Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan of using “all sorts of excuses to forcefully inspect Chinese fishing vessels, and using violent and dangerous methods towards Chinese fishermen.”

The unnamed Chinese vessel had been sailing about one nautical mile off the coast of an islet of Kinmen island, Taiwan’s coast guard Administration said in a statement. The Chinese vessel attempted to flee but capsized.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/two-chinese-fishermen-drown-chase-taiwan-coast-guard-rcna138934

---