China has deployed Coast Guard vessels into the region around the Taiwan-controlled islands near the mainland, to protect Chinese fishing boats which have been attacked by Taiwan ships. This was triggered by a fatal incident on Feb. 14 in which a Chinese mainland fishing boat was assaulted by Taiwan authorities in waters near Kinmen Island. The island is administered by Taiwan authorities. All four people on board fell into the sea, and two of them died. China warned that PLA Naval vessels will be deployed if there are further incidents.
The opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), sent its vice chairman Andrew Hsia to lead a delegation on a seven-day visit to the mainland, according to a report by Taiwan media. Hsia will pay condolences over the incident that resulted in the two deaths. China welcomed the visit, but Global Times noted that the KMT is not the ruling party on the island and cannot play a key role in this incident; further, the visit “won’t affect the mainland’s determination to retaliate against the [Democratic Progressive Party] DPP authorities’ ruthless acts, adding that the mainland’s law enforcement in relevant waters will be firmly conducted on a routine basis.”
