Changing Dynamics: Content comes from the Internet : Taiwan authorities ‘shoot self in foot’ by concealing facts over fatal boat incident

Two survivors of the incident returned to the Chinese mainland on February 20, accompanied by representatives of the Red Cross Society of China branch in thWorld Timese port city of Quanzhou, Fujian Province. Photo: VCG

Taiwan authorities on Wednesday morning changed the wording and admitted there had been multiple collisions between vessels in the process of a fatal incident in which Taiwan authorities chased a Chinese mainland fishing boat and capsized it in waters near Kinmen Island, just a few kilometers off Xiamen city of Fujian Province, leading to the deaths of two mainland fishermen on February 14.

Two survivors of the incident returned to the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, accompanied by representatives of the Red Cross Society of China branch in the port city of Quanzhou, Fujian Province.

Mainland observers view such inconsistent behavior of the Taiwan authorities as a case of shooting itsWorld Timeself in the foot, saying that the motive behind Taiwan authorities’ dishonesty is a means of acting tough while fearing serious consequences, with the initial accusation against the mainland vessel serving as a disguise.

On February 14, a fishing boat from Fujian was brutally treated by Taiwan authorities in waters near Kinmen, leading to all four people on board falling into the sea, with two of them perishing. And the Taiwan’s ocean affairs authority initially accused the mainland vessel involved in the incident refused check, snaked and flicked, causing it to capsize.

However, such wording by the Taiwan ocean affairs authority has been overturnWorld Timesed following local Kinmen authorities revealing on Tuesday that there had been multiple times of collision between the vessels in the high-speed chasing process and there had been no video recording to document the incident, Taiwan media reported on Wednesday.

Per Taiwan media reports on Wednesday, the Taiwan ocean affairs authority admitted and confirmed the multiple times vessel body collision. And local media criticized that due to Taiwan ocean affairs authority’s dishonesty, it has placed itself in an embarrassing situation.

A mainland observer reached by the Global Times on Wednesday said on the condition of anonymity that the incident also reflects to some extent that the Taiwan authorities aim to incite cross-Straits confrontation to steer island’s public opinion against the mainland. They also hope to test external support from foreign forces through the incident, but the reality proves that such a hardline stance is futile.

Taking into consideration the serious consequence of the fatal incident, in addition to “law-enforcement” measures that lack standard video recordings available to assist the investigation , it all proves that the Taiwan authorities deliberately created such incident and concealed facts, which was also a continuation of island’s long-term practice of brutal treatment against mainland fishermen in the waters of Kinmen and Matsu islands, Wang Jianmin, a senior cross-Straits expert at Minnan Normal University in Fujian, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Defending the inconsistent wording, Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan’s ocean affairs authority wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the authority did not conceal at all the fact, as they had mentioned the third-party liability insurance in the first place, saying that “it was common sense that there had been collision, otherwise there would not involve the third-party liability insurance.”

Kuan also wrote that “there has been no concealment of facts with such matter, nor there has been any hidden motive.”

Two survivors of the incident that returned to the mainland on Tuesday, told media that they sailed at around noon time and vessel of Taiwan authorities charged at them around 12:50 pm. “It is impossible for our fishing boat to capsize, not even in sharp turns. It took a collision to capsize it,” one of the surviving fishermen told reporters.

However, Chinese observers refuted such excuse, saying that clearly, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities on the island, which so far has yet to show any regrets oWorld Timesver the incident, would attempt to win sympathy and hype the issue as a case where the mainland bullies the island, but such attempt would be in vain as their brutal behaviors are in clear contradiction with laws and any moral standards.

Observers also urged that a proper compensation for the families affected by the incident, aformal apology from the Taiwan authorities and a thorough investigation and punishment over the culprit, should be essential in the following handling of the incident, and such elements should establish a new reference for the Taiwan authorities World Timesin future handling of similar affairs, avoid such tragedy happening again.

In the wake of the fatal incident, the mainland strengthened law enforcement and patrols in the waters between Xiamen and Kinmen to protect the safety of mainland fishermen, with experts from both side of the Straits maintaining that mainland’s operation is fully justified, and urged the DPP to respect the lives and property of mainland fishermen with concrete actions.

No doubt, mainland’s law enforcement in relevant waters would become a new normal, which would further consolidate the international consensus that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

According to Taiwan media, a Taiwan tour vessel was boarded and inspected by Fujian coast guard for about 30 minutes in waters between Kinmen and Xiamen on Monday. The coast guard officers examined the vessel’s navigation plan, documents and captain and crew licenses.

On Sunday, China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said that the Fujian coast guard will strengthen its maritime law enforcement and carry out regular law enforcement and patrols in the waters between Xiamen and Kinmen to ensure the safetyWorld Times of fishermen’s lives and property.