Latest news with #HsiehChingChin
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Forget China's navy, Chinese small boats landings on Taiwan are a new source of concern
TAIPEI (AP) — China has long sought to intimidate Taiwan with its massive navy, air force and the world's largest standing army, but it's mere dinghies that are now causing the most consternation. Taiwan's coast guard has documented five cases totaling 38 Chinese citizens crossing the 160-kilometer (100-mile) wide Taiwan Strait separating the self-governing island democracy from the authoritarian Chinese mainland, according to the body's deputy director-general Hsieh Ching-chin. That includes at least one case posted to Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, in which a man speaking with a strong mainland Chinese accent is seen planting a Chinese flag on what he says is a Taiwanese beach. Scenes in the background appear to show a stretch of coastline south of the capital Taipei. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be conquered by force if necessary. The man has not been found or publicly identified, and Taiwanese authorities are seeking to ascertain whether he received help from anyone on the island. Another case involved a father and son who were apprehended shortly after reaching land, along with a man who came ashore at a fishing port in a popular tourist area north of Taipei. The small size of the boats, some just inflatables for having fun at the beach, makes it difficult for Taiwan's radar to pick them up. More cameras and other detection devices and manpower would be needed to cover the vast spaces of inhospitable coastline surrounding the island, but the terrain would make a Chinese D-Day-type landing highly challenging. While such cases are not unheard of, they come amid a rise in tensions between the sides, with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te designating China as an enemy to be defended against, and China holding frequent military exercises seen as a rehearsal for an invasion or boycott of Taiwan. Those entering Taiwan illegally are liable to a fine of 500,000 Taiwan dollars ($16,666) and five years in prison, but such penalties are usually waived as long as no one is hurt and there is no property damage. In the 1990s, there was a wave of hijackings by Chinese to Taiwan, but the perpetrators were sent home after serving brief prison terms in Taiwan. In addition to facing China's formidable military, Taiwan faces a range of so-called "gray area" strategies, including in the media and among entertainers hoping to grab a share of the massive Chinese market. Taiwan has also deported the Chinese wives of Taiwanese men for posting videos supporting a takeover of the island. The small boat landings may be a further attempt to confuse and undermine confidence among the public, Hsieh said.
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Forget China's navy, Chinese small boats landings on Taiwan are a new source of concern
TAIPEI (AP) — China has long sought to intimidate Taiwan with its massive navy, air force and the world's largest standing army, but it's mere dinghies that are now causing the most consternation. Taiwan's coast guard has documented five cases totaling 38 Chinese citizens crossing the 160-kilometer (100-mile) wide Taiwan Strait separating the self-governing island democracy from the authoritarian Chinese mainland, according to the body's deputy director-general Hsieh Ching-chin. That includes at least one case posted to Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, in which a man speaking with a strong mainland Chinese accent is seen planting a Chinese flag on what he says is a Taiwanese beach. Scenes in the background appear to show a stretch of coastline south of the capital Taipei. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be conquered by force if necessary. The man has not been found or publicly identified, and Taiwanese authorities are seeking to ascertain whether he received help from anyone on the island. Another case involved a father and son who were apprehended shortly after reaching land, along with a man who came ashore at a fishing port in a popular tourist area north of Taipei. The small size of the boats, some just inflatables for having fun at the beach, makes it difficult for Taiwan's radar to pick them up. More cameras and other detection devices and manpower would be needed to cover the vast spaces of inhospitable coastline surrounding the island, but the terrain would make a Chinese D-Day-type landing highly challenging. While such cases are not unheard of, they come amid a rise in tensions between the sides, with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te designating China as an enemy to be defended against, and China holding frequent military exercises seen as a rehearsal for an invasion or boycott of Taiwan. Those entering Taiwan illegally are liable to a fine of 500,000 Taiwan dollars ($16,666) and five years in prison, but such penalties are usually waived as long as no one is hurt and there is no property damage. In the 1990s, there was a wave of hijackings by Chinese to Taiwan, but the perpetrators were sent home after serving brief prison terms in Taiwan. In addition to facing China's formidable military, Taiwan faces a range of so-called 'gray area' strategies, including in the media and among entertainers hoping to grab a share of the massive Chinese market. Taiwan has also deported the Chinese wives of Taiwanese men for posting videos supporting a takeover of the island. The small boat landings may be a further attempt to confuse and undermine confidence among the public, Hsieh said.
South China Morning Post
20-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan's coastguard asks for more surveillance funds after mainland boats breach defences
Taiwan 's coastguard has requested special funding to boost coastal surveillance after a series of alarming undetected landings on sensitive shores by people in inflatable boats from mainland China. The call for better surveillance came after two mainland Chinese residents – a 41-year-old man and his 17-year-old son, surnamed Song – sailed to Taiwan illegally on Thursday by crossing the Taiwan Strait in a 3.3-metre (11-foot) inflatable boat. They landed on Guanyin Beach in Taoyuan, a zone regularly used by the military for live-fire exercises. The pair turned themselves in the next morning, claiming they were fleeing persecution and seeking freedom in Taiwan. A father and son from mainland China crossed the Taiwan Strait using an inflatable boat. Photo: Handout On Monday in Taipei, Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy head of Taiwan's coastguard administration, said the pair had left Pingtan in Fujian province, about 70 nautical miles away, using a main tank of fuel and two 20-litre (5.30-gallon) backup containers – a 'reasonable' estimate for the crossing. Their arrival was overshadowed by a viral video posted on mainland Chinese social media the same day. In it, a man dubbed 'Shandong Kai Ge' claimed to have crossed the strait solo in a rubber boat, landed on a beach near a wind farm just 10km (6 miles) north of Guanyin, hoisted a mainland Chinese flag, and returned to the mainland the same day – all while declaring Taiwan 'free to come and go'. Hsieh confirmed the video was genuine, recorded near wind turbines in Taoyuan's Dayuan district, though authorities were still investigating whether the man actually crossed the strait or staged the scene with local help. 'The site in the video is only 10.9km from where the father and son landed,' he noted. Asked whether such crossings were technically feasible, Hsieh said that in the case of the viral video, the direct route from Changle, Fujian to Dayuan was 95 nautical miles, requiring about 117 litres of fuel for a round trip. 'If he carried four 30-litre tanks, it is not impossible – but very difficult,' he said.
