China warned Taiwan it must "bear the consequences" after its Coast Guard used a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. Beijing claims sovereignty over the waters, stating its vessels were operating legally and that Taiwan's actions endangered lives and property. Taiwan maintains its Coast Guard conducted normal, proportionate law enforcement.
The incident escalates tensions between China and Taiwan, highlighting Beijing's assertive stance over disputed waters and its claim of sovereignty over Taiwan, which could impact regional stability and maritime trade routes.
China warned Taiwan it must "bear the consequences" after its Coast Guard used a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands, a Chinese government spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, stated that mainland vessels operating in the relevant waters were "entirely legal and justified" and that China would "resolutely safeguard the lives and property of our people." He added that Taiwan's "treatment of mainland vessels roughly in a dangerous manner that endangers the lives and property of the personnel involved is maliciously stirring up cross-strait confrontation and they must bear all consequences arising from this," without elaborating.
Earlier this month, a Taiwan Coast Guard ship fired its water cannon, stating the Chinese fishing boat failed to respond to warnings to move away from restricted waters close to the Pratas Islands. The Taiwan Coast Guard said the ship then suffered engine failure and was towed away by a nearby Chinese vessel.
A Taiwan official with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters that the Coast Guard carried out "normal law enforcement" during the incident and responded in a "very careful and proportionate way."
The Pratas Islands, which lie roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, are seen by security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance from Taiwan. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has increased its military presence around the island. Taiwan rejects China's claim.
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