Following a deadly incident involving a Chinese boat and Taiwan's coast guard, Taiwan has called on Beijing to
"be rational"
.
Chen Chien-jen, the island's prime minister, reaffirmed Tuesday that he will continue to protect its territorial waters.
Last week, two Chinese crew members died after a boat sank near Kinmen, an island administered by Taipei but located just five kilometers from the mainland city of Xiamen.
The boat was being pursued by the Taiwanese coast guard because it was in prohibited waters.
China then announced increased patrols in Taiwanese waters, and on Monday Chinese coast guard briefly boarded a Taiwanese cruise ship to check the details of the captain and passengers.
“Dialogue in a healthy and orderly manner”
Taiwan Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen said both sides have known about
“restricted and prohibited maritime zones”
since 1992.
“We will continue to protect these maritime zones to ensure security in our territorial waters and the rights of our fishermen,
he insisted.
We hope that the two sides can be rational, fair and cooperate to ensure the security of the waters of Kinmen-Xiamen so that people on both sides of the strait can dialogue in a healthy and orderly manner."
Kinmen is a short distance from Xiamen, and it is not uncommon for Chinese and Taiwanese ships to accidentally cross the defined boundary between the two.
Taiwan's coast guard defended its actions during the pursuit that led to the fatal accident, saying the Chinese crew refused to cooperate with law enforcement.