China says its coast guard patrols around Taiwan islands are 'beyond reproach'

BEIJING — China's government said on Feb 28 that its coast guard patrols around a group of Taiwanese islands near the Chinese coast were "beyond reproach", and dismissed complaints that the boarding of a Taiwan tourist boat had caused panic.

China's coast guard in February began regular patrols around the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, which face China's Xiamen and Quanzhou cities, where two Chinese nationals died trying to flee Taiwan's coast guard after their boat entered prohibited waters.

Taiwan said last week a Taiwanese tourist boat operating from Kinmen had been boarded briefly by China's coast guard, triggering "panic", and that this week, five Chinese ships entered prohibited or controlled waters.

Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing, Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, reiterated it does not recognise any off-limits waters around Kinmen for fishermen, and said the coast guard did not cause alarm with boarding the tourist boat.

"I don't think there is any issue of panic," she said.

The coast guard carries out its official duties in "their own waters" in accordance with the law to maintain "normal order" and protect the lives and of fishermen and travellers, she added.

"Civilised and transparent law enforcement is beyond reproach," Zhu said.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory despite the island's rejection, has been wary of efforts by Beijing to ramp up pressure on Taipei following January's election of Lai Ching-te as president. Beijing considers Lai, who takes office in May, a separatist.

Taiwan has complained of repeated Chinese military activity near its territory.

On Wednesday, Taiwan's defence ministry said it had detected 15 Chinese military aircraft