View source for 2024 Kinmen Chinese motorboat capsizing incident

{{Short description|Maritime incident in the Taiwan Strait}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{expand Chinese|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox event
| title = 2024 Kinmen Chinese motorboat capsizing incident
| image = 初五開工日越界捕魚！陸籍漁船拒檢追逐翻覆 4人落海釀2死 1.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = The Chinese motorboat seen from the Coast Guard carrier
| date = {{start date|2024|02|14}}
| time = 
| Location = 0.5 [[Nautical mile|nmi]] east of [[Beiding Island]], [[Kinmen]], [[Fuchien Province, Republic of China|Fuchien Province]], [[Taiwan|ROC]]
| coordinates = 
| also known as = 
| cause = Collision between a motorboat from [[Quanzhou]], [[China|PRC]] and a Taiwanese Coast Guard vessel inside the restricted waters of Kinmen{{Notetag|name=rc|The '''Restricted waters of Kinmen''' are the {{ill|Restricted or prohibited waters of Taiwan|lt=restricted or prohibited waters|zh|臺灣地區限制或禁止水域}} zone drawn by the [[Government of the Republic of China|Taiwanese government]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mazzetta |first1=Matthew |title=Q&A/Taiwan and China's dispute over the waters around Kinmen |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402190007 |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=Central News Agency|quote=When were the "prohibited waters" (禁止水域) and "restricted waters" (限制水域) around Kinmen established? The boundaries were set by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense in 1992. Although Beijing does not recognize Taiwan's territorial claims (since it claims Taiwan as its own territory), the MAC argues that China has tacitly abided by the boundaries, such that denying them now constitutes a changing of the status quo. What do the terms "prohibited waters" and "restricted waters" mean? According to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration, the term "prohibited waters" refers to territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles around Taiwan proper, and varying distances around Taiwan's outlying islands. "Restricted waters" refers to a contiguous zone, which states use to bolster their law enforcement capacity in the area just outside their territorial seas. This contiguous zone extends 24 nautical miles around Taiwan proper, and varying distances around Taiwan's outlying islands. Taiwan authorizes its Coast Guard to search and seize foreign vessels entering the country's prohibited waters. Under existing protocols, the Coast Guard is authorized to search and seize foreign boats that continue to operate in Taiwan's restricted waters after being warned twice to leave the area. Where are the current boundaries around Kinmen? At present, the prohibited zone around the main islands of Kinmen and Little Kinmen extends about halfway to the Chinese coast to the north and northeast, up to about 4 kilometers to the east, and about 8 kilometers to the south. By contrast, in the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands -- which are slightly farther off China's coast than Kinmen -- the prohibited and restricted zones extend 4 km and 6 km, respectively, around the archipelago.}}</ref> which the [[PRC]] has never recognized the legitimacy of.<ref name=d893>{{cite news| title=中国渔船在金门海域翻覆酿2死事件后 国台办：两岸不存在"禁止、限制水域" |work=[[Voice of America|VOA]] Chinese| date=2024-02-18 | url=https://www.voachinese.com/amp/china-says-no-banned-areas-around-taiwanese-islands-after-two-killed-20240218/7492307.html | language=zh | access-date=2024-02-18 | archive-date=2024-02-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218083725/https://www.voachinese.com/amp/china-says-no-banned-areas-around-taiwanese-islands-after-two-killed-20240218/7492307.html | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=国台办：根本不存在所谓"禁止、限制水域"|url=http://www.gwytb.gov.cn/xwdt/xwfb/wyly/202402/t20240217_12600298.htm|website=中共中央台湾工作办公室、国务院台湾事务办公室|date=2024-02-17|language=zh-cn|author=[[Taiwan Affairs Office]]|url-status=dead|access-date=2024-02-20|archive-date=2024-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219103002/http://www.gwytb.gov.cn/xwdt/xwfb/wyly/202402/t20240217_12600298.htm}}</ref>}}
| reporter = 
| filmed by = 
| participants = {{ROC}}
* [[Ocean Affairs Council]]
** [[File:Flag of the Coast Guard Administration of the Republic of China.svg|22px]] [[Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)|Coast Guard Administration]]
| outcome = 
| reported deaths = 2
| reported injuries = 
| missing = 
| property damage = 
| burial = 
| inquiries = 
| inquest = 
| coroner = 
| suspects = 
| accused = 
| convicted = 
| charges = 
| verdict = 
| convictions = 
| publication bans = 
| litigation = 
}}
The '''2024 Kinmen Chinese motorboat capsizing incident''',{{Efn|{{lang-zh|2024年金門近海快艇翻覆事故}}}} also called the '''2/14 Kinmen Incident''', took place on 14 February 2024, when a boat of the 9th Brigade of the Taiwanese [[Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)|Coast Guard Administration]] (CGA) collided with a Chinese motorboat in the waters of [[Kinmen]], [[Fuchien Province, Republic of China|Fuchien Province]], [[Taiwan]] (ROC). All four crew members of the Chinese motorboat were thrown into the water, two of whom later died.

==Event==
The 9th Brigade of the [[Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)|Coast Guard Administration of Taiwan]] (CGA) collided with a Chinese motorboat on 14 February 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=戴志揚 |date=2024-02-16 |title=陸「三無快艇」翻覆2死！橫行金馬黑歷史曝光 漁民要海巡硬起來 |url=https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20240216001583-260402 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225091253/https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20240216001583-260402 |archive-date=2024-02-25 |access-date=2024-02-25 |work=China Times}}</ref> Both Taiwan's CGA and the [[Mainland Affairs Council]] stated that the boat was unmarked and unregistered.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blanchard |first1=Ben |editor1-last=Gopalakris |editor1-first=Raju |title=China to send coast guard ships as tensions rise over Taiwanese islands |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-says-no-banned-areas-around-taiwanese-islands-after-two-killed-2024-02-18/ |access-date=31 July 2024 |work=Reuters |date=17 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Deng |first1=Shawn |last2=Chang |first2=Wayne |title=Two Chinese fishermen drown during pursuit by Taiwan coast guard |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/14/asia/chinese-fishermen-drown-taiwan-kinmen-intl/index.html |access-date=31 July 2024 |publisher=CNN.com |date=14 February 2024}}</ref> All four crew members of the Chinese motorboat were thrown into the water, two of whom later died.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chang |first1=Yi-lian |last2=Chen |first2=Christie |title=2 dead after Chinese speedboat capsizes in Kinmen waters |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202402140011 |date=14 February 2024 |access-date=30 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wang |first1=Flor |last2=Lee |first2=Ya-wen |last3=Lai |first3=Yu-chen |title=Death of 2 Chinese men off Kinmen regrettable: Taiwan agency |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402150011 |access-date=30 July 2024 |date=15 February 2024}}</ref>

The Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first stated that the Fujian motorboat capsized due to refusing inspection and "zigzagging", without mentioning a collision.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=1429170|title=金門海域陸快艇翻覆兩死！海巡坦承多次碰撞翻覆|date=21 February 2024|publisher=SET News}}</ref>

However, CGA later changed its statement on 20 February, stating that there were multiple "contacts" between the two vessels during the high-speed interception. Mainland Chinese crew members who returned to Fujian also confirmed that the coast guard's speedboat directly collided with the fishing boat.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://std.stheadline.com/sc/daily/article/2572804/%E6%97%A5%E5%A0%B1-%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B-%E5%8F%B0%E6%94%B9%E7%A8%B1%E6%B5%B7%E5%B7%A1%E9%9A%8A%E6%9B%BE%E8%88%87%E9%96%A9%E6%BC%81%E8%88%B9%E7%A2%B0%E6%92%9E|title=台改称海巡队曾与闽渔船碰撞|date=22 February 2024|website=std.stheadline.com |author1=星島日報 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Chang |first1=I-lien |last2=Hung |first2=Hsueh-kuang |last3=Huang |first3=Li-yun |last4=Lin |first4=Chiao-lien |last5=Wu |first5=Kuan-hsien |title=CGA confirms Kinmen capsizing incident caused by patrol boat collision |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402220018 |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=22 February 2024}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
The two surviving crew members were detained in Kinmen,<ref name=":0"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-19 |title=Chinese Coast Guard Boarded Taiwan Ship After Deadly Boat Incident |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/chinese-coast-guard-boarded-taiwan-ship-after-deadly-boat-incident-/7493857.html |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Voice of America |language=en |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref> and subsequently deported.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chiang |first1=Yi-lien |last2=Tsai |first2=Meng-yu |last3=Chang |first3=Chi |last4=Mazzetta |first4=Matthew |title=Relatives of Chinese men who died in Coast Guard chase arrive in Kinmen |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402200009 |access-date=30 July 2024 |date=22 February 2024 |quote=Family members of two Chinese men who died in a boat accident as they fled Taiwan's Coast Guard arrived in Kinmen to hold funeral rituals for them Tuesday, while the other two men on the boat were scheduled to be deported to China.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hung |first1=Hsiuh-kuang |last2=Chang |first2=Yi-liang |last3=Lee |first3=Hsin-Yin |title=CGA fails to clarify if collision caused fatal capsizing |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402210019 |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=21 February 2024|quote=According to prosecutors, the two survivors, who were deported back to China Tuesday, said they had no objection to the law enforcement procedures of the Coast Guard.}}</ref> The incident led to increased tensions between China and Taiwan, as China disputed the CGA's justification for the chase and the concept of restricted waters.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Davidson |first=Helen |date=2024-02-20 |title=China coast guard boards Taiwan tourist boat in escalation of tensions |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/20/china-coast-guard-boards-taiwan-tourist-boat-king-xia-kinmen-islands |access-date=2024-02-28 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wu |first=Huizhong |date=2024-02-18 |title=China's coast guard to ramp up patrols near Taiwan's Kinmen archipelago after 2 fishermen drown |url=https://apnews.com/article/china-taiwan-coast-guard-kinmen-fishermen-death-c054f13464310ad4d13872a410f73e9b |access-date=2024-02-28 |work=Associated Press News |language=en}}</ref> Taiwan's [[Mainland Affairs Council]] reiterated that the [[Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area]] permitted Taiwanese authorities to take any defensive action necessary if a Chinese vessel enters any restricted or prohibited waters.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hung |first1=Hsueh-kuang |last2=Tang |first2=Pei-chun |last3=Lee |first3=Hsin-Yin |title=Taiwan rejects China's criticisms following deadly Kinmen boat chase |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402180010 |access-date=30 July 2024 |date=18 February 2024}}</ref>

The [[China Coast Guard]] increased patrols in the area following the incident.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tang |first1=Pei-chun |last2=Kao |first2=Evelyn |title=After incident, Chinese boats patrol waters near Taiwan-held Kinmen |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402190011 |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=19 February 2024}}</ref> On 19 February, China Coast Guard officials boarded a Taiwanese cruise ship near Kinmen for half an hour, which drew criticism from Taiwanese authorities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tsai |first1=Meng-yu |last2=Yu |first2=Hsiao-han |last3=Ko |first3=Lin |title=Taiwan vessel returns to Kinmen after being boarded by Chinese coast guard |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402190022 |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=19 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-20 |title=Chinese Coast Guard boards Taiwan tourist boat, triggers panic |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/20/chinese-coast-guard-boards-taiwan-tourist-boat-triggers-panic |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

At the end of February 2024, a conspiracy theory was discussed on [[Twitter]] that one of the survivors of the capsizing incident was not an ordinary fisherman, but a first-class sergeant in the [[People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force|Navy Submarine Force]] of the [[South Sea Fleet]] of the [[People's Liberation Army|PLA]] named Chen Zujun (陳祖軍).<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E4%BB%96%E5%80%91%E9%9A%B8%E5%B1%AC%E5%8D%97%E6%B5%B7%E6%88%B0%E5%8D%80-%E9%87%91%E5%BB%88%E7%BF%BB%E8%88%B9%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6%E7%94%9F%E9%82%84%E8%80%85%E9%81%AD%E8%B5%B7%E5%BA%95-%E7%96%91%E8%A7%A3%E6%94%BE%E8%BB%8D%E6%89%AE%E7%A6%8F%E5%BB%BA%E6%BC%81%E6%B0%91-033111561.html|title=他們隸屬南海戰區? 金廈翻船事件生還者遭起底 疑解放軍扮福建漁民|date=2024-02-26|website=Yahoo News|language=zh-Hant-TW|access-date=2024-02-29}}</ref> 

Discussions about the incident were delayed due to the effects of [[Typhoon Gaemi]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lai |first1=Sunny |title=Taiwan-China discussions on speedboat incident rescheduled to Tuesday |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202407280014 |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=28 July 2024}}</ref> An agreement was reached in late July 2024,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hung |first1=Hseuh-kuang |last2=Lee |first2=Hsin-Yin |title=Taiwan, China reach settlement terms over Kinmen speedboat incident |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202407300012 |access-date=30 July 2024 |date=30 July 2024}}</ref> in which the remains of the fatalities were to be repatriated and compensation given to families of the victims. On 30 July, CGA commander Chang Chung-lung (張忠龍) apologised to the victims' families "for the suffering [they have] endured" and for failing to record evidence "in this case".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ng |first1=Kelly |title=Taiwan and China reach deal over fishermen's deaths |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czd9z4jvyj1o |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=BBC |date=30 July 2024}}</ref>

The captain and helmsman of the CGA vessel were investigated by the Kinmen District Prosecutors' Office, which declined to indict the pair.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hung |first1=Hsueh-kuang |last2=Chang |first2=I-lien |last3=Wu |first3=Kuan-hsien |last4=Chao |first4=Yen-hsiang |title=Coast Guard officers involved in Kinmen capsizing incident not charged |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202408160012 |access-date=17 August 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=16 August 2024}} Republished as: {{cite news |title=Officers involved in Kinmen capsizing not charged |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2024/08/18/2003822410 |access-date=18 August 2024 |work=Taipei Times |date=17 August 2024}}</ref>

==Reactions==
Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the [[Institute for National Defense and Security Research]], compared the Chinese denial of restricted and prohibited waters to previous statements rejecting the tacitly understood Davis line of the [[Taiwan Strait]]. Yu Tsung-chi (余宗基), the former dean of [[Fu Hsing Kang College]] of the [[National Defense University (Taiwan)|National Defense University]], observed that rejection of restricted and prohibited waters by China showed a lack of respect toward Taiwan, and also argued that previous seizures or attempts to drive away Chinese vessels could not have happened if both sides did not understand the concept of restricted and prohibited waters.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Ya-wen |last2=Kao |first2=Evelyn |title=China using 'gray zone' tactics after deadly Kinmen boat case: Experts |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402180013 |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=18 February 2024}}</ref> Taiwanese [[premier of the Republic of China|premier]] [[Chen Chien-jen]] ugred both Taiwan and China to approach the waters around Kinmen and Xiamen with rationality and equality in mind.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lin |first1=Ching-yin |last2=Wang |first2=Yang-yu |last3=Lee |first3=Hsin-Yin |title=Premier urges reciprocal cooperation amid cross-strait maritime dispute |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402200014 |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=20 February 2022}}</ref> [[National Security Advisor (United States)|United States National Security Advisor]] [[Jake Sullivan]] commented that the US was  "against any kind of action, by any party, that undermines [...] peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait. [[Matthew Miller (spokesperson)|Matthew Miller]], [[spokesperson for the United States Department of State]], stated that the United States was closely monitoring Chinese actions, and "urge[d] restraint and no unilateral change to the status quo" in the Strait.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chiang |first1=Chin-yeh |last2=Lee |first2=Hsin-Yin |title=U.S. calls for peace amid Taiwan-China maritime dispute |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202402210007 |access-date=30 July 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=21 February 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
* {{ill|Cross-strait fishery conflict|zh|兩岸漁業衝突}}
* [[1987 Lieyu massacre]]
* [[Min Ping Yu No. 5540 incident]]
* [[Min Ping Yu No. 5202]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Cite web 
|title=臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例施行細則§42 
|url=https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawSingle.aspx?pcode=Q0010002&flno=42 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221185512/https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawSingle.aspx?pcode=Q0010002&flno=42 
|archive-date=2024-02-21 
|website=Law and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (maintained by the [[Ministry of Justice (Taiwan)|Ministry of Justice]])
|language=zh-tw
}}
* {{Cite web
|date=2017-09-22 
|title=海岸巡防機關處理大陸船舶未經許可進入臺灣地區限制或禁止水域案件裁罰標準
|url=https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=D0090029
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221185008/https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=D0090029
|archive-date=2024-02-21 
|website=Law and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (maintained by the [[Ministry of Justice (Taiwan)|Ministry of Justice]])
|language=zh-tw
}}
* {{Cite news 
|date=2024-02-21 
|title=不只禁限制水域 两岸治权争议有哪些？ 
|url=https://www.dw.com/zh/%E4%B8%8D%E5%8F%AA%E7%A6%81%E9%99%90%E5%88%B6%E6%B0%B4%E5%9F%9F-%E5%85%A9%E5%B2%B8%E6%B2%BB%E6%AC%8A%E7%88%AD%E8%AD%B0%E6%9C%89%E5%93%AA%E4%BA%9B/a-68315118 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221184500/https://www.dw.com/zh/%E4%B8%8D%E5%8F%AA%E7%A6%81%E9%99%90%E5%88%B6%E6%B0%B4%E5%9F%9F-%E5%85%A9%E5%B2%B8%E6%B2%BB%E6%AC%8A%E7%88%AD%E8%AD%B0%E6%9C%89%E5%93%AA%E4%BA%9B/a-68315118 
|archive-date=2024-02-21 
|access-date=2024-02-21 
|work=[[Deutsche Welle]]
|language=zh
}}

{{2024 shipwrecks}}
{{Cross-Strait relations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kinmen Chinese motorboat capsizing incident, 2024}}
[[Category:2024 in international relations]]
[[Category:February 2024 events in Taiwan]]
[[Category:February 2024 events in China]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2024]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in Asia]]
[[Category:Cross-strait relations]]
[[Category:China Coast Guard]]
[[Category:Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)]]
[[Category:Jinhu Township]]
[[Category:Kinmen|2024 motorboat capsizing incident]]