On February 14, a Chinese fishing boat with four crew members crossed into Taiwanese territory off the coast of the Kinmen Islands. It was hailed to stop for inspection by a Taiwanese Coast Guard vessel. The Chinese vessel did not stop for inspection and was chased by the Coast Guard vessel.
During the chase, the fishing boat capsized. Two of the crew died due to drowning, however, the two other members of the crew were rescued and given medical care.
The Chinese vessel had no name, no ship certificate, and no ship registration according to Taiwan’s Coast Guard.
China condemned the incident, alleging that Taiwan had long mistreated Chinese fishermen. There was significant outrage by the Chinese public, with many pushing for violent retaliation on social media sites. However, Chinese censors deleted the comments to downplay the incident.
