Another Chinese citizen illegally made his way to Taiwan by boat this past Saturday. Anglers spotted the man around 6:30 a.m. near the coast of Linkou District in New Taipei City and alerted the police. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Monday assured the public that the government is closely following these incidents and responding accordingly.
The 30-year-old man, surnamed Wang (王), had rowed an inflatable boat over from Ningbo, China, and needed transport to a local hospital for dehydration treatment. Wang claims that he owes a large debt in China and wanted to escape to Taiwan so he could start a new life.
This event marks the second time this year that a Chinese citizen has tried to enter northern Taiwan illegally. Just last June, a Chinese man drove a speedboat into the Tamsui River, telling authorities he wanted to “defect” from China and “seek freedom” in Taiwan. Saturday’s incident has once again raised concerns about the need to strengthen coastal defense.
KMT legislator Lin Szu-Ming (林思銘) criticized Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) for failing to put forth concrete solutions to secure the coast. Kuan responded that there was no human error in this case and that the Ministry needs to purchase more advanced equipment for surveillance and reconnaissance. DPP legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) added that the length of Taiwan’s coastline makes it difficult to rely purely on maritime patrols, so obtaining a larger budget for improved monitoring technologies would be ideal.
Regarding these concerns, Cho said that the government has been working to accelerate the review process for such incidents and that any deficiencies in relevant military equipment, technology, or personnel will immediately be addressed. He emphasized that safeguarding national security is a top priority.