Two Chinese fishermen have drowned while being chased by Taiwan’s coast guard off Taiwan’s Kinmen archipelago, officials said.
The deaths are unusual despite high Chinese activity in waters near Kinmen, as China claims all of Taiwan as part of its territory.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office condemned the deaths and called for an investigation. They said, “such a malicious event during the Spring Festival seriously hurts the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”
The statement accused the governing Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan of using “all sorts of excuses to forcefully inspect Chinese fishing vessels, and using violent and dangerous methods towards Chinese fishermen.”
The vessel had been sailing one nautical mile off the coast of an islet of Kinmen Island, and it attempted to flee but capsized, Taiwan’s coast guard administration said.
Four fishermen fell into the water and two survived, while efforts to resuscitate the other two men failed, Chen Jien-wen, the vice captain of the coast guard in Kinmen, told local outlets.
They added the case has been reported to the Kinmen prosecutor’s office and the families of the victims are being contacted.
