Taiwan Strait fatalities lead to call for answers

A Chinese mainland spokeswoman on Saturday urged Taiwan authorities to properly handle an incident that led to the deaths of two mainland fishermen, saying that the Chinese mainland reserves the right to take further measures.

On Wednesday afternoon, a fishing boat from Fujian province was forcefully driven away by Taiwan authorities in the waters near Kinmen, causing all four people on board to fall into the sea, and resulting in the two fatalities.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that the violent expulsion of the Chinese mainland fishing boat by Taiwan has caused strong indignation across the mainland and seriously harmed the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Zhu said that both sides of the Strait belong to one China, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory.

Fishermen from both sides have traditionally operated in the waters near Fujian's Xiamen and Kinmen, and there is no such thing as "prohibited" or "restricted" waters off the coast of Kinmen, she added.

While the Chinese mainland has goodwill toward Taiwan compatriots, it will not tolerate Taiwan's disregard for the safety of mainland fishermen's lives and property, she continued.

Zhu called on Taiwan to promptly release the boat and the fisherman, carry out follow-up work, find the truth, and seriously hold those responsible to account, providing an explanation to the families of the victims and compatriots on both sides.

The Chinese mainland reserves the right to take further measures, and Taiwan will bear all consequences, Zhu said.