While the talks scheduled for Wednesday on Quemoy were postponed because of Typhoon Gaemi, Taiwanese media reports and Beijing’s latest tone on the tragedy have signalled signs of progress.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Office said that the family members of the deceased and the mainland delegation could not arrive as scheduled because all marine transport had been halted as the deadly typhoon barrelled towards the Taiwan Strait.
The two sides will decide on a new date for the talks, it said in a statement.
According to Taipei-based United Daily News, Taiwanese authorities planned to return the bodies of the deceased and their boat, and would also provide compensation to their families.
Comments from Beijing also indicated a constructive tone about settling the incident, in contrast to strong accusations earlier that Taiwanese authorities were hiding the truth.
Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), said the two sides were in touch on the matter and it was “hoped that relevant issues can be properly resolved through negotiation”.
Her tone was markedly different from that in June, when she accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of continuously “setting up obstacles” to talks.
The Taiwanese coastguard earlier said the mainland boat had trespassed into prohibited waters near Quemoy, also known as Kinmen, which lies just a few nautical miles off the southeastern mainland province of Fujian.
By early March, the two sides had carried out 15 rounds of negotiations, but talks broke down each time amid an intense exchange of accusations.
Taiwan alleged that the boat was not licensed and had entered restricted waters, while Beijing said the Taiwanese coastguard had treated the mainland fishermen in a brutal and dangerous manner.
Beijing also disputes the existence of any “prohibited waters”, asserting that they are a traditional fishing area used by both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
It has called on Taiwan to reveal the truth behind what it describes as a “malicious event” and to hold those responsible to account.
Taiwan, meanwhile, has urged the mainland to respect its judicial system and allow prosecutors to complete their investigation.
Cai Zhansheng, the mayor of Quanzhou, the city in Fujian where the doomed speedboat was registered, told the national legislature in March that he was “extremely angry” at Taiwanese authorities for using violence against mainland fishing boats.
01:10
Beijing accuses Taiwan’s William Lai of sending ‘dangerous signals’ in inauguration speech
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Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state. However, Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
The patrols have intensified in the following months, with run-ins including the seizure of a Taiwanese boat and five crew off the mainland coast earlier this month. The last time something like this happened was 17 years ago.
Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, welcomed the potential breakthrough.
The latest comments from either side were “definitely a positive development amid the tensions in cross-strait relations”, he said. “It has been a long time, and it’s about time to resolve the matter.”
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Office could not be reached for comment. The Taiwan Affairs Office in Quanzhou also declined to comment “due to the confidentiality” of the matter.
Chen Yu-jen, a lawmaker from Taiwan’s Beijing-friendly opposition party Kuomintang, also said she hoped putting the tragedy to rest would help to bring a positive momentum to other pending cross-strait issues.
Mainland authorities accuse the man, surnamed Hu, of having “intentionally concealed information” about his military service.
Hu’s family later helped him to complete the paperwork for a “voluntary discharge” from the Taiwanese military.
