TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) is set to deliver a report on Monday (March 4) on the deaths of two Chinese fishermen near Kinmen last month.

According to the report, Chinese ships are not allowed to enter Taiwan’s restricted or prohibited waters without permission from relevant Taiwan authorities, CNA reported. Unauthorized entry may result in interception, detainment, or other necessary defensive measures, it said.

MAC said that based on preliminary investigations, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) personnel acted lawfully, and there were no irregularities in their actions. The council said the last month’s incident was unfortunate.

MAC said it authorized Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation to handle matters concerning the families of the deceased Chinese crew members through cross-strait channels.

The immediate cause of the incident was the refusal of "unidentified" Chinese vessels (no vessel name, no vessel certificate, no registered port) to cooperate with Taiwanese law enforcement and their decision to attempt to flee, MAC said. However, the root cause was China’s long-standing failure to crack down on the numerous unidentified vessels, leading to their frequent illegal intrusions into Taiwan's prohibited and restricted waters.

MAC said Taiwan has a responsibility to safeguard the rights and interests of Taiwanese fishermen by lawfully driving away vessels that cross national borders. It urged China to value the achievements in cross-strait cooperation in maritime law enforcement.