Taiwan's Navy Involved in Maritime Incident with Chinese Fishing Vessel

Incident Near Taichung Port Prompts Response from Beijing and Taiwan's Naval Command.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy is addressing an incident involving a collision between the naval vessel, the Zhonghe Warship, and a mainland Chinese fishing boat. The incident occurred on March 27th in the waters off Taichung Port.

Following the incident, the Mainland Affairs Office (MAO) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) issued a statement, attributing responsibility to the Zhonghe Warship and demanding compensation for the losses incurred by the Chinese fishermen.

In response, the Naval Command of the Taiwan Navy released a statement confirming that the Zhonghe Warship was involved in a collision with the Chinese fishing vessel "Minlianyu 61756" during a mission on March 27th. The statement further clarified that the Navy is fully cooperating with the Coast Guard Administration's investigation to determine the cause of the incident and to clarify the allocation of responsibility.

The Naval Command indicated that after the determination of responsibility, the matter will be handled through the established cross-strait negotiation mechanisms.