Taipei hid collision between Coast Guard vessel and capsized mainland fishing boat that killed two
Taipei's omission of the key detail at the time, changed timeline, and absence of video recording cloud the deadly incident in "the most dangerous place on Earth."
This week, the China Coast Guard is patrolling the waters near Kinmen, a Taiwanese outpost just three kilometers at its closest point from the Chinese mainland where residents can stand on a beach and look across at the growing forest of skyscrapers in the mainland city of Xiamen.
The Chinese mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office issued the following statement
On March 15th, the Fujian Coast Guard formed a fleet and conducted law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen in accordance with the law. Regarding this, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, stated: "Since the malicious collision incident on February 14th, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have not shown any remorse for their actions that endangered lives. They have ignored the legitimate demands of the families of the victims and attempted to shirk responsibility and cover up the issue by using their internal investigation procedures, which has drawn strong opposition and outrage from people across the Strait, including the residents of Kinmen. Taiwan is a part of China, and the mainland coast guard’s law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen are legitimate actions to maintain order in relevant maritime areas. We will not tolerate or condone the DPP authorities' brutal actions that disregard the safety of mainland fishermen's lives and property, and harm the feelings between people on both sides of the Strait. The DPP authorities must promptly provide an account to the victims' families and people across the Strait. The mainland reserves the right to take further measures, and the DPP authorities shall bear all consequences."
Over a month after the deadly incident that killed two mainland fishermen during the Lunar New Year holidays, the historically troubled waters in what The Economist called - and recently repeated by Fareed Zakaria - “the most dangerous place on Earth” find itself at the heart of yet another unresolved, sensitive dispute.
On Feb. 14, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration under its Ocean Affairs Council said
1. Today (14th) at 1345 hours, CP-1051 boat from this administration's Kinmen Matsu branch was carrying out key duties to prevent mainland Chinese vessels from illegally entering the waters around Fukuodun in Kinmen during the Lunar New Year period. They discovered an unnamed mainland Chinese speedboat that had illegally entered the area, 1.1 nautical miles east of Kinmen's Beiding Island (0.86 nautical miles inside the prohibited waters). Subsequently, during the law enforcement process, the mainland vessel unfortunately capsized, causing 4 crew members to fall into the water. Search and rescue operations were immediately initiated. During this, the Coast Guard boat rescued 2 crew members and found another 2 unconscious crew members who had fallen into the water. However, emergency medical efforts were unsuccessful.
2. The individuals and vessel involved have been brought back by the Kinmen Coast Guard for investigation, and the case has been reported to the Kinmen District Prosecutors Office for investigation. As for the 2 deceased crew members, their families in mainland China will be contacted through proper channels for handling the matter.
The mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office on the same day responded to Taiwan's law enforcement as the direct cause of the tragedy.
On the afternoon of the 14th, a fishing boat from Fujian was driven away by the Taiwanese side in the waters off Kinmen, resulting in all four people on board falling into the sea, two of whom died. In response, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, expressed deep condolences and sincere sympathy to the victims and their families. She strongly condemned this malignant incident that seriously harmed the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Strait during the Lunar New Year.
Zhu Fenglian pointed out that for many years, we have adhered to the concept of "both sides of the Strait being one family," and have done a great deal of work to ensure the normal operations of fishermen from both sides, especially by establishing reception facilities for Taiwanese fishermen in many coastal areas, providing shelter, supplies, emergency response, and rescue assistance for Taiwanese fishing boats and fishermen. In contrast, the Taiwanese authorities have, for some time, forcefully seized mainland fishing boats under various pretexts, treating mainland fishermen in a rough and dangerous manner, which is the main reason for the occurrence of this malignant incident.
In a next-day update, the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration added a few more details, including the mainland vessel “zigzagged and refused inspection,” “carried no name, ship's certificate, or port of registry, which is a common concern for joint law enforcement efforts across the Taiwan Strait.” The updated statement added, “regarding this unfortunate incident, our administration expresses deep regret.”
Taipei also claimed that mainland fishermen were caught in its restricted waters. The mainland responded on Feb. 17 that “Fishermen from both sides have traditionally operated in the traditional fishing grounds of the Xiamen-Kinmen maritime areas since ancient times. There is no such thing as ‘prohibited’ or ‘restricted’ waters.” Taiwanese officials claimed the mainland side had long adhered to Taiwan’s demarcations when carrying out law-enforcement activities.
Beijing added that “The Taiwan side should promptly release the vessel and personnel, properly handle the aftermath, ascertain the facts, severely punish those responsible, and provide an account to the families of the victims and compatriots on both sides. The mainland reserves the right to take further measures, and the Taiwan side shall bear all consequences.”
Concealed Collision
The impasse persisted until a pivotal moment on Feb. 20, when the bodies of the two deceased crew members were repatriated, and the two surviving fishermen were allowed to return home. They, upon arriving at the mainland, levied serious accusations against the Taiwan Coast Guard, claiming their vessel was capsized not due to any fault of their own but knocked over by Taiwan’s patrol boats.
In a poignant video interview, the fishermen insisted that their vessel was robust and would not have capsized because of any instability or evasive actions on their part. "Our vessel will not capsize even with a swerve. It capsized because the Taiwan Coast Guards knocked it over," one of the two surviving fishermen said.
Taiwan Coast Guard Administration revised its account and admitted on Feb. 21 that multiple instances of contact between the vessels, marking a drastic shift in narrative.
惟因該艘陸船蛇行拒檢逃逸,於CP-1051 艇艏迂迴航行,在高速追逐狀況下,船身多次接觸,
However, because the mainland vessel zigzagged and refused inspection while attempting to flee, as the CP-1051 boat gave chase by circling around the front of the vessel, during the high-speed pursuit, the two vessels made contact multiple times.
The following day, in a televised press conference, the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration conceded incidents like this included "inevitable" minor collisions during an attempt to board the fishing boat for inspection, a collision between the rear of the fishing boat and the front starboard side of the Coast Guard vessel, attributed to evasion maneuvers, and a critical collision immediately thereafter leading to the fishing boat's capsize. Taipei maintained that the capsize was "unintentional," attributing it to a "loss of balance" due to "centrifugal force" on the side of the fishing boat.
Despite the official corroboration by Taipei, which omitted the collision for over a week while holding the mainlanders in custody, the key detail remains unreported in several major international media reports,
A Reuters report on Feb. 21 said
KINMEN, Taiwan, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Taiwanese fishermen in sensitive waters around frontline islands near the Chinese coast say they are worried about rising tensions, after two Chinese nationals died during a chase with Taiwan's coast guard.
The two died when Taiwan's coast guard tried to expel their boat, which then overturned, after it had gotten too close to an islet that is part of the Kinmen islands, governed from Taipei since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.
A Wall Street Journal report on Feb. 21 said
The latest flare-up stemmed from the deaths of two fishermen off Kinmen on Feb. 14, after Taiwan’s coast guard said it pursued a Chinese speedboat that had entered its restricted waters to fish. The Chinese boat capsized as it fled, and two of its four crew members died. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which handles relations with Beijing, said a preliminary investigation indicated its coast guard officers performed their duties lawfully and without misconduct.
A Nikkei Asia report on Feb. 22 said
TAIPEI -- Fears of a maritime incident that could trigger a serious escalation of tensions are growing after two Chinese people died when their speedboat capsized last week in Taiwanese waters…
Last Wednesday, two Chinese people died after their boat capsized inside Taiwan's waters. The Taiwanese coast guard said the vessel, carrying four people, was about one nautical mile from Kinmen, and fled after being told to stop for inspection.
A CNN report on Feb. 29 said
Kinmen, Taiwan CNN — Two weeks after two Chinese fishermen drowned while being chased by Taiwan’s coast guard, tensions remain high in the waters around Kinmen…
Beijing, which blames Taipei for the death of the two Chinese fishermen…
A Reuters report on March 16 said
Last month, China's coast guard began regular patrols around Kinmen, after two Chinese nationals died while trying to flee Taiwan's coast guard after their boat entered prohibited waters.
Changed timeline
In the Feb. 14 statement, the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration put the time of the mainland fishing boat’s capsize at 13:45. On Feb. 22, it amended the key timing to 13:10 amid concerns about its “fabrication or concealment” in a statement
On February 14th, when the incident occurred, due to the capsizing of the vessel at the scene, 4 personnel fell into the water urgently needing rescue. Colleagues from our department were fully committed to the rescue operation from the outset, prioritizing saving lives above all else. This focus meant that we did not verify the details thoroughly and mistakenly reported the time of the capsizing as 13:45.
For the purposes of investigating the case, our special task force members meticulously cross-checked radar data, duty radio communications, and navigation tracks. Around noon on February 15th, it was discovered that the reported time of the capsizing was incorrect. Subsequent records from our department have been corrected to 13:10. Additionally, at the press conference held on February 22nd, we accurately described the situation on the scene without any fabrication or concealment as suggested by external parties.
Regarding the press releases issued by our department on February 14th and 15th, which indeed used the incorrect time (13:45), subsequent press releases only addressed issues of concern at the time and did not proactively correct the time error in previous releases. In response to the time discrepancy reported for this incident, our department will engage in self-reflection, improve our notification procedures and discipline, and implement staff education and training.
We humbly accept the constructive feedback from various quarters regarding the Coast Guard Administration recently and will continue to review and improve our operations.
[A diagram illustrating the sequence of the events from the Feb. 14 incident, presented by the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration in its Feb. 22 press conference.]
Non-existent recording
The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration, over a week after the deadly incident, disclosed in its Feb. 22 press conference four audio recordings of radio communications between the Coast Guard vessel and the District Patrol [a supervising unit with a designated operational focus within a given area] for the first time. These recordings, dating back to before the incident, reveal that the District Patrol issued an alert to the Coast Guard vessel at 12:52 PM, directing it to undertake an interception. This detail aligns with the accounts provided by the surviving fishermen, who reported spotting the Coast Guard vessel around 12:50 PM.
However, the provided recordings, totaling less than 30 seconds, did not include any pieces concerning the pursuit or the capsizing, raising doubts about the comprehensiveness of the presented evidence.
Further complicating the matter is the absence of video recording in Taiwan’s law enforcement. According to the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration's statement on Feb. 22, the Coast Guard vessel involved was too small to be outfitted with a comprehensive surveillance system and the vessel's four-person crew was too engaged in a high-speed pursuit, which lasted five minutes, and in managing the vessel's stability amidst the tides, to leave them with an opportunity to retrieve and use a handheld camera.
I. During the enforcement process, our department failed to gather evidence, which has led to unfounded external suspicions of concealing footage:
a) Due to high-speed pursuit and the boat being violently rocked by the waves, our colleagues needed to focus intently on maintaining balance. Given that the incident only lasted for five minutes, these factors, including the brief duration and the high-speed chase, resulted in the officer responsible for gathering evidence not being able to retrieve the handheld camera in time to document the event.
b) The absence of comprehensive video evidence from the incident has prevented the families from quickly understanding the true facts of the case, causing them undue distress and leading to significant public debate. We regret this outcome and have actively cooperated with the [Taiwan] prosecutor's investigation, trusting that the judicial process will clarify the facts. Going forward, this case will serve as an impetus for operational improvements, and we will enhance related education, training, and standard operating procedures.
c) Currently, our CP boats do not have full surveillance systems installed, and according to our department's equipment standards, such small boats are not equipped with recorders. Therefore, our colleagues did not use recorders, which is not a violation of regulations. However, had recorders been used, it might have prevented the inability to gather evidence. In the future, we will ensure that all four crew members on such boats are fully equipped with recorders during operations.
II. The apprehension of the encroaching speedboat is a routine enforcement task of the Coast Guard Administration:
a) This case involved a radar-detected mainland Chinese speedboat crossing the border, after which the 12th Patrol District immediately dispatched CP-1051 boat for interception. It was a standard law enforcement case. Prior to the Spring Festival, many similar speedboats were operating in the waters around Kinmen, leading to continuous reports from the public, necessitating lawful enforcement to meet the expectations of the people. This was a standard law enforcement action with no special instructions or considerations from higher-ups, purely a routine Coast Guard operation.
b) To clarify the sequence of events to the public, our department has provided a recording of the radio communication between the Coast Guard boat and the 12th Patrol District at the time of the incident.
III. The unfortunate deaths of two mainland Chinese personnel in this incident are deeply regrettable, and we share in the sorrow of their families. We did not wish for such an outcome, and the case is currently under investigation by the prosecutor. We hope to de-escalate any conflict, prioritize humanitarian considerations over politics, and swiftly conclude the aftermath to allow the deceased to rest in peace and the living to find solace.
Lingering Effects
Despite the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration officially admitting to a collision that capsized the mainland fishing boat, its supervising agency the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) continued to downplay the deadly contact between the vessels.
Its report to a committee hearing of the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan’s legislature, included no word in effect to “collision,” despite the committee had set the name of the hearing on March 4 as 金門撞船案:翻船執法過程及後續處理 Kinmen Collision Case: Capsizing Enforcement Process and Subsequent Handling.
Interestingly, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense used the exact title stipulated by the legislature, the Mainland Affairs Council didn’t give a title to its report, and the OAC titled it 取締『大陸籍快艇』事故案 Crackdown on "Mainland Chinese Speedboat" Accident Case.
Taiwan’s Kinmen prosecutors have been investigating the case since Feb. 20. Beijing and Taipei conducted 15 rounds of negotiations on the incident, to no avail. The Chinese mainland personnel left Kinmen on March 5 and said on March 13
Human life is paramount. Clearly, the capsizing of the fishing boat and the death and injury of its crew were caused by the rough treatment of mainland fishermen by the Taiwanese side. Yet, to this day, the families have not received even a single apology, nor have they learned the truth. Taiwan continues to delay solving the problem under the guise of an "investigation process" and shirks responsibility by citing "law enforcement." They are the true embodiment of "three no's": heartless, unprincipled, and unreasonable. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities must face the issue head-on, adjust their attitude, and show sincere intentions to resolve the problem. Only then can negotiations for the aftermath of the "2·14" malicious collision incident be restarted. Attempting to delay and muddle through is likely a miscalculation.
Chinese coastguard officials briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist ship on Feb. 19, and since March 15 the China Coast Guard has been patrolling what Taiwan had declared ‘prohibited’ or ‘restricted’ waters near Kinmen.