TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Coast Guard apprehended a father and his teenage son from China on Friday after they landed on a beach in Taoyuan using a small inflatable boat.
According to the Coast Guard’s Northern Branch, the two Chinese nationals arrived in a 3.3-meter inflatable vessel. Due to its compact size, the boat was not detected by radar.
The individuals were identified as Song (宋), 41, and his 17-year-old son, both residents of Fujian Province. Song claimed he fled persecution in China and sought freedom in Taiwan, per CNA.
Authorities are still investigating their exact motives for attempting to enter Taiwan without authorization. The case has been referred to prosecutors for further investigation.
In recent months, China has employed tactics, including the use of small vessels during military drills, to test Taiwan’s responses. The Coast Guard suspects this incident may be part of China’s gray zone tactics aimed at pressuring Taiwan.
Gray zone tactics are defined as “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.”
On Saturday, Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office charged Song with breaking the Immigration Act. Article 74, Paragraph 1 of the act prohibits unauthorized entry by mainland Chinese.
Following interrogation, prosecutors filed a detention request with the court. Song’s son was transferred to juvenile court.
Taoyuan District Court plans to question Song on Saturday. The judge noted that, given the minor lives with his father and had limited agency in the matter, and considering his psychological development and case circumstances, detention was deemed unnecessary.
The minor was handed over to the Coast Guard and subsequently transferred to the National Immigration Agency’s Taoyuan special task force for further handling.
