1 Taiwanese returned to Kinmen, 1 still held by China

Taipei, March 23 (CNA) A Taiwanese man surnamed Wu (吳) and his fishing boat were handed over to the Kinmen coast guard by Chinese officials earlier on Saturday, while a second Taiwan national is still being held by China after the two were detained by the Chinese coast guard in Fujian Province's Weitou Bay on March 18.

According to Kinmen County government, the handover was completed at 12:10 p.m., with the 40-year-old Wu successfully disembarking at Liaoluo Port in Kinmen at 1 p.m.

During the operation, the Kinmen coast guard dispatched a patrol vessel to accompany Wu's vessel back to Kinmen, it added.

However, the second man, a 25-year-old surnamed Hu (胡), is still being held by China having failed to inform the authorities he is an active-duty soldier, and officials are further investigating the situation, the Chinese State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office said.

According to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration, Hu and Wu, who are residents of Jinsha Township, Kinmen County, encountered heavy fog on March 17 while fishing at sea and inadvertently drifted into waters near Quanzhou, China, where they were found by the Chinese coast guard.

Kinmen County government said it would continue to communicate with Chinese officials in the hope that Hu can be returned as soon as possible.

Opposition Kuomintang Legislator Jessica Chen (陳玉珍) told reporters it will take longer for Hu to be returned, and she would visit China if possible to try and facilitate his early release.

Wu's mother greeted and hugged him at Liaoluo Port, preparing her son vermicelli with pork leg to help him "remove bad luck."

Kinmen County Magistrate Chen Fu-hai (陳福海) visited the two men's families in the afternoon in a bid to understand their needs and said he will continue to do everything in his power to bring Hu back home.