China Coast Guard carries out more law-enforcement patrols in waters near Kinmen

In another patrol, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels sailed in the waters near the Kinmen islands on Friday and Saturday, a move experts said is intended to signal that Chinese mainland law-enforcement vessels will conduct more patrols in the waters to protect lives and safeguard the legitimate rights of fishermen from both mainland and Taiwan region.

Analysts from both sides of Taiwan Straits said that due to the February 14 fatal boat incident and the poor handling and negative attitude of the secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, the Chinese mainland will likely take more actions to protect the people, and the DPP will face a bitter situation in the situation that was provoked by the DPP authorities.

According to the CCG, its Fujian Province branch sent vessels to conduct law-enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen on Friday and Saturday. The coast guard claimed that the move aims to safeguard the legitimate rights and safety of life and property for Chinese fishermen, including those from Taiwan region. It said the CCG will keep strengthening its law-enforcement patrols and inspections.

The CCG increased its input into the law-enforcement patrol this time, and expanded the areas of patrol, while the video released by the CCG showed that CCG Ship 2202 and Ship 2203 participated in the patrol. These two ships were refitted from Type 053H2G frigates which used to serve in the Chinese navy.

The patrol area this time was not the waters between Xiamen and Kinmen, but the waters between Kinmen and Taiwan island. According to the picture released by the CCG, their vessels approached an area only about three nautical miles from Kinmen island. Analysts said the act will impose more pressure on the DPP authorities.

Wang Zhenwei, director of the Institute of Politics under the Taiwan Research Center at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Sunday that the patrol sends a strong signal that the CCG is determined to safeguard the safety of fishermen from both sides of the Taiwan Straits, and its law-enforcement forces are legitimately able to conduct such activities in relevant waters.

"These acts could put new pressures on the DPP authorities, and the public in Taiwan island who want stability and peace in the Taiwan Straits should also put pressure on the DPP. If the secessionist authorities on the island continue to be provocative and remain ruthless to the mainland's fishermen and the families of the victims of the February fatal boat incident, the Chinese mainland will take more decisive actions," Wang noted.

Kuo Jeng-liang, a former politician and TV commentator in Taiwan, said on local media that the CCG is conducting law-enforcement in the waters, and Taiwan relevant authorities' vessels appear to have no capability to handle this situation.

A resident of the Kinmen islands who asked for anonymity due to the concern of persecution by the Taiwan authorities, told the Global Times on Sunday that Kinmen residents all know that the CCG vessels and mainland fishermen have never given Kinmen fishermen any trouble, and they have always provided help, supplies and protection to the fishermen from Kinmen and Taiwan on the sea during extreme weather.

"This time, the poor handling of the Taiwan authorities has triggered the crisis, and this is truly a disgrace. We don't worry about the CCG's law enforcement activities as they never harm civilians, but if there is any friction between the CCG and a Taiwan authority vessel, that will cause new tension," he noted.

Kuo told media that in the future, more and more fishing boats from both sides of the Taiwan Straits are expected to come to the waters. He said, "The CCG vessels will likely remain their presence."

Taiwan is part of China, so CCG conducting law-enforcement activities in Chinese waters is legitimate, said Chinese mainland analysts.

In the future, Taiwan "coast guard ships" will face a very difficult situation if they continue to provoke. Sadly, the DPP leaders cannot expect the US to help them to clean up the mess they have made, said a Beijing-based expert on cross-Straits studies who asked for anonymity.

Citing Taiwan's expulsion of a mainland fishing boat on February 14 that led to two deaths, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in February that the relevant authorities in Taiwan were acting with a disregard for human lives and a negative attitude.