The boarding of a Taiwanese tourist boat by China's coast guard near sensitive frontline islands triggered "panic" among Taiwanese, a government minister said yesterday, but Taiwan's military added it was not planning to get involved.
China announced Sunday that its coast guard would begin regular patrols and set up law enforcement activity around the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, following the death of two mainlanders fleeing Taiwan's coast guard having entered into restricted waters too close to Kinmen.
Taiwan's coast guard had defended its actions during the pursuit that led to the deadly capsizing, saying the mainlanders refused to cooperate with law enforcement.
Six Chinese coast guard officers on Monday boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat carrying 11 crew members and 23 passengers to check its route plan, certificate and crew licenses, leaving around half an hour later, Taiwan's coast guard said.
"We think it has harmed our people's feelings and triggered people's panic. That was also not in line with the interest of the people across the strait," Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, said on the sidelines of parliament.
Kuan said it was common for Chinese and Taiwanese tourist boats to accidentally enter the other side's waters. "Boats like these are not illegal at all," she said.
Defense minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that to avoid a further rise in tensions the military will not "actively intervene."
"Let's handle the matter peacefully," he said. "Not escalating tensions is our response."
Chinese state media said Quanzhou Red Cross officials, accompanied by family members, arrived on Kinmen yesterday to bring home the two survivors from the boat which had overturned when it tried to out-run Taiwan's coast guard last week.
The families are expected to take part in religious rituals mourning the deceased, who will be cremated and will stay in Kinmen until today.
REUTERS/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
