Mainland Chinese authorities returned a Taiwanese fishing boat seized in July and released four of its crew but a fifth person remains under investigation, as the two sides further attempt to solve a series of fishery-related disputes that started in February.
According to Beijing’s state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday, Fujian Coast Guard repatriated four of the five fishing boat crew detained last month on the mainland off Quanzhou, Fujian province, in southeastern China.
The captain, surnamed Hong, remains in custody by mainland authorities, according to Taiwanese media.
In early July, the mainland coastguard detained the Taiwanese fishing boat Da Jin Man 88 and its five crew members – two Taiwanese and three Indonesian – in waters controlled by Beijing and near the Taiwan-controlled defence outpost, Quemoy, an island also known as Kinmen, alleging they had “violated the summer fishing moratorium by using small-hole trawl nets”.
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The fishing boat, carrying 1,335kg (around 3,000lbs) of catch, and its crew have since been under investigation by the Fujian Coast Guard for suspected illegal fishing of aquatic products.
“After preliminary investigation and evidence collection, it was found that four crew members had minor violations and were not held criminally responsible,” the Fujian Coast Guard statement said, according to CCTV.
“They were arranged to return to Taiwan on August 13. Another person involved in the case is still under further investigation.”
The recent repatriation of the Taiwanese fishermen follows efforts by Beijing and Taipei to resolve months of disputes over fishing.
The push was prompted by the deaths in February of two mainland fishermen after their boat capsized during a chase by the Taiwanese coastguard in waters off Quemoy, adding fuel to cross-strait tensions.
While negotiation regarding the deaths remained in a stalemate for months after the first series of talks in March – with the Taiwanese coastguard accusing the men of trespassing in restricted waters and mainland officials accusing the island’s authorities of “rough dispersal of the fishing boat” – the two sides signed an agreement in late July for the return of the bodies and the vessel, as well as compensation.
The talks were a rare instance of direct discussion between officials from both sides after Beijing cut off communication with Taipei in 2016.
But neither side has disclosed details of the agreement.
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Earlier this month, a former Taiwanese military officer, identified by his surname Hu, returned to Taiwan after he was held on the mainland for nearly five months.
In mid-March, Hu from Quemoy was held in Quanzhou after his boat experienced engine failure and drifted into mainland waters in foggy weather during a fishing trip with a civilian friend. The friend was released shortly after the incident, but the soldier remained in custody for five months amid accusations of “intentionally” concealing his occupation.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the island by force, and is committed to supplying it with arms.
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