The Chinese mainland officially announced that on the 24th, the Fujian Coast Guard conducted law enforcement patrols near the waters of Kinmen and released a video on social media showing mainland coast guard officers issuing a warning to a Taiwan patrol vessel for a 'dangerous approach.'
The mainland coast guard posted on Weibo stating that on January 24, the Fujian Coast Guard carried out routine law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen.
Zhu Anqing, spokesperson for the East China Sea Bureau of the Coast Guard, said that since January, the Fujian Coast Guard has organized a fleet to continuously strengthen law enforcement patrols near the waters of Kinmen, further reinforcing controls over relevant maritime areas. This is to 'effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and property safety of Chinese fishermen, including those from the Taiwan region, and to robustly ensure normal navigation and operational order in the Xiamen-Kinmen waters.'
This is the first officially announced law enforcement patrol near Kinmen since the mainland launched military exercises around Taiwan at the end of last year.
The mainland coast guard also released a video mentioning that since January, the Fujian Coast Guard has continuously intensified law enforcement patrols near the waters of Kinmen. The footage shows Fujian coast guard personnel addressing a Taiwanese vessel: 'Kinmen 10083 vessel, this is Fujian Coast Guard 14533 ship. Your vessel is continuously making a dangerous approach towards me, which poses a threat to my navigational safety. Please maintain a distance of no less than 3 cables (about 555 meters) from me. This is a serious warning to you.'
Taiwan Coast Guard: Has Become 'Routine Harassment'
Regarding the appearance of Chinese coast guard vessels in the waters near Kinmen, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration stated at the end of last year that the Chinese mainland has been using coast guard ships under the pretense of 'law enforcement patrols' to cross the restricted water line of Kinmen. Based on navigational patterns, it has become 'routine harassment,' and is definitely not 'law enforcement patrols.' This not only affects cross-strait relations but also undermines regional peace and stability.