Administration Ching-Chin Hsieh explains the case of a Taiwanese fishing boat that was seized by China's coastguard

Taiwan requests that Beijing free the crew and ship that were taken from beyond Taiwanese territorial seas close to the Kinmen Islands.

Taiwan has reported that a fishing boat belonging to its six-member crew was taken by Chinese coastguard personnel and brought to a port on the Chinese mainland. Beijing is being urged to free the boat and its crew.

Late on Tuesday, the action was taken in response to China's coast guard increasing patrols around Taiwan's Kinmen islands following several fatal fishing mishaps, one of which resulted in acrimonious finger-pointing between the two nations.

According to Taiwan's coast guard, two Chinese maritime administration boats boarded and took possession of the Taiwanese boat as it was fishing for squid off the Kinmen islands, outside of Taipei's territorial seas.

Kinmen is around five kilometres (3 miles) from the Chinese mainland, and it is situated near to the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou.

The coast guard stated that the Taiwanese boat was in operation during China's fishing ban and that Taiwan will speak with China to request that the fishermen be released as soon as feasible.

The Taiwan Affairs Office of China refrained from commenting right away.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has ramped up pressure on Taipei since President William Lai Ching-te took office in May, a man Beijing accuses of being a “separatist”.

Taiwan’s coastguard said it dispatched two patrol vessels “to try to rescue” the fishing boat, along with a third for assistance, but one was “blocked by” Chinese coast guard ships.

“We broadcast to the Chinese coast guard ship, demanding the immediate release of our fishing boat. The Chinese side also broadcast to us, asking not to interfere,” it said.

“To avoid escalating the conflict, we have decided to stop the chase,” the coast guard said, adding the fishing boat was taken to China’s Weitou port.

The captain and a number of migrant labourers from Indonesia were among the six crew members on board, according to Taiwan's official Central News Agency.

Reporters in Taipei were informed by Taiwan Coast Guard Administration Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin that China needed to provide an explanation for the seizure of the boat. He also mentioned that in prior instances, fishermen who operated during China's no-fishing season were released after paying fines.

He continued, saying Taiwanese fishing boats should increase their degree of alertness and the coast guard will bolster its patrols.

“The coastguard also calls on the mainland side not to use political factors to handle this situation,” Hsieh said.

The Indonesian consulate general in Guangzhou would provide assistance to the imprisoned Indonesians, according to Judha Nugraha, the director for citizen safety at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, who spoke with the Reuters news agency.

Given the sensitive nature of the situation, an official speaking on condition of anonymity stated that this is not the first time a Taiwanese fishing boat has been apprehended by Chinese officials after operating in those waters.

A Taiwan official, who is familiar with the island’s security planning, told Reuters they have issued alerts to fishing and transport authorities around Taiwan to pay attention to “possible risks” amid frequent Chinese coastguard activities in the region, including near Japan and the Philippines.

China and Taiwan frequently detain each other's intruding fishing boats. Taiwan's coast guard statistics indicates that five similar boats from China have been arrested by Taiwan thus far this year.

Since February, Chinese coastguard and maritime enforcement vessels have been often cruising the Kinmen area, following the deaths of two Chinese fisherman who attempted to escape Taiwan's coastguard.