Hundreds Of Chinese Boats Intruding Taiwan Waters

TAIPEI, Mar 24, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) Hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels intruded into the waters of a frontier Taiwanese island Friday in an apparently orchestrated intimidatory gesture, a report said.

The number of Chinese fishing boats sailing off Tungyin, one of several Taiwan-controlled islets near the mainland, has increased to about 240, the state-funded Central News Agency reported.

A Defense Ministry spokesman told AFP that the reports were being checked.

Dozens of Chinese fishing vessels were also seen in the area earlier this week after the election of pro-independence Chen Shui-bian as Taiwan's new president.

Provocative movements of fishing vessels are common in the area and elsewhere in the Taiwan Street.

But Lienchiang county magistrate Liu Li-chun was quoted as saying that the latest gathering was unusual because all the vessels were 100-tonne iron-hulled ships gathering at a "extremely regular formation."

It said no fishing nets were spotted on the boats, all of which had sailed from the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang.

Liu was also alarmed by reports that Chinese security officials had boarded the ships.

"Apparently they were not moving there to catch fish," Liu said.

In a visit to the top military officer of the garrison command on the frontier island, Liu called for a heightened combat readiness to be declared. ((c) 2000 Agence France Presse)

-- row@row.row your boat (@ .), March 25, 2000

Answers

It would be interesting if some of them began to spring leaks and sink.

Just an idea ...

-- Ispy (Ispy@intrigue.rus), March 25, 2000.