Taiwan arrested a former member of the Chinese Navy that came to Taipei aboard a boat with the possible intention of testing the island defensive capabilitiesTaiwanese official sources reported this Tuesday.
The event occurred last Sunday morning, when the Taiwan Coast Guard (CGA) detected the incursion of a “suspicious boat” six nautical miles (eleven kilometers) from the coast of Tamsuinorth of the capital, according to a statement released by the organization.
The vessel later entered the Tamsui River, which flows through the west of the city, and collided with several ships at the district’s ferry terminal; The CGA agents confiscated the boat – registered in China– and they “immediately” detained the man, who is under judicial investigation.
According to images released by the CGAthe detainee, a 60-year-old man with the last name Ruan, surrendered to the authorities without resistance.
In statements to the media, Taiwan Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-lingassured this Tuesday that he was an “elegant” and “well-dressed” individual, with experience in the Chinese navy and as a ship captain.
Over the last year there were 18 cases similar to thismost of them in the outlying islands of Taiwansaid the official, who did not rule out that it is a deliberate attempt by the Chinese authorities to test the island’s response mechanisms to maritime incursions.
“Judging by the long-term accumulation of cases, we cannot rule out that this is a test,” said Kuan, who admitted “negligence” in the handling of the case by the island authorities.
Along these same lines, the Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koowarning that this incident could constitute another example of the “gray zone” tactics employed by China to pressure Taiwan. “These ‘gray zone’ tactics have always existed and, of course, we must make the relevant clarifications. “We must always maintain vigilance and do not rule out the possibility of taking countermeasures.”Koo said.
The river Tamsui It is considered a strategic point by acting as a gateway to Taipeiwhere the Presidential Office and the headquarters of the most important institutions of Taiwan.
In fact, the Taiwanese army performs frequent maneuvers in the river estuary Tamsuithe port of Taipei and the beach bali -the “defense triangle” of the capital- to prove defensive capacity of these locations, indicated the state news agency CNA.
In statements to this mediumSu Tzu-yun, researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR)considered it unlikely that Ruan would travel the 200 kilometers that separate China of Taiwan in a speed boat, and indicated that it was most likely that his boat was launched by a larger boat halfway along the road.
(With information from EFE)
