Taiwan’s coast guard has documented five cases totaling 38 Chinese citizens crossing the 160-kilometre (100-mile) wide Taiwan Strait
China has long used its vast navy, air force, and the world’s largest standing army to intimidate Taiwan, but small boats are now causing the most concern.
Taiwan’s coast guard has reported five incidents involving 38 Chinese citizens crossing the 160-kilometer (100-mile) Taiwan Strait, which separates the self-governing democratic island from mainland China’s authoritarian regime, according to deputy director-general Hsieh Ching-chin.
In one incident shared on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, a man with a distinct mainland Chinese accent is seen planting a Chinese flag on what he claims is a Taiwanese beach. Background visuals suggest the location is a coastline south of Taipei.
China claims that Taiwan is its territory, to be taken by force if needed. The individual who planted the flag has not been located or publicly named, and Taiwanese officials are investigating whether he had assistance from anyone on the island.
In another incident, a father and son were detained shortly after reaching shore, alongside a man who landed at a fishing port in a popular tourist area north of Taipei.
The small size of the boats, some just inflatables for having fun at the beach, makes it difficult for Taiwan’s radar to pick them up. More cameras and other detection devices and manpower would be needed to cover the vast spaces of inhospitable coastline surrounding the island, but the terrain would make a Chinese D-Day-type landing highly challenging.
While such cases are not unheard of, they come amid a rise in tensions between the sides, with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te designating China as an enemy to be defended against, and China holding frequent military exercises seen as a rehearsal for an invasion or boycott of Taiwan.
Those entering Taiwan illegally are liable to a fine of 500,000 Taiwan dollars (USD 16,666) and five years in prison, but such penalties are usually waived as long as no one is hurt and there is no property damage. In the 1990s, there was a wave of hijackings by Chinese to Taiwan, but the perpetrators were sent home after serving brief prison terms in Taiwan.
In addition to facing China’s formidable military, Taiwan faces a range of so-called “gray area” strategies, including in the media and among entertainers hoping to grab a share of the massive Chinese market. Taiwan has also deported the Chinese wives of Taiwanese men for posting videos supporting a takeover of the island.
The small boat landings may be a further attempt to confuse and undermine confidence among the public, Hsieh said.
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