TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) expressed his support Wednesday (Feb. 21) for the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) in its handling of the death of two Chinese nationals during the chase of a vessel in Taiwanese waters.
The unregistered ship illegally entered the waters near the offshore island of Kinmen on Feb. 14. As the CGA pursued it, the vessel capsized, resulting in two deaths.
In his first comments on the incident, Lai called for correct handling of the aftermath of the incident. He also supported the determination of the CGA to apply the law and called for the prevention of similar incidents in the future, per UDN.
Lai made his comments at the weekly leadership meeting of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which he chairs. Party Spokesperson Justin Wu (吳崢) relayed his statements to the media.
Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) reportedly presented an explanation of the government’s handling of the Kinmen incident to the DPP meeting. Observers saw the Chinese response to the capsizing, including a claim that Taiwan did not have any maritime boundaries, as a test for Lai, whose presidential inauguration is scheduled for May 20.
Chinese ships have often intruded into Taiwanese waters, mostly for fishing or for sand dredging, without applying for permission. The Navy said it would not intervene in similar disputes unless asked by the CGA.