Taiwan fishing boat seized by China Coast Guard off Kinmen

Taipei, July 3 (CNA) A Taiwan-registered fishing vessel was seized by the China Coast Guard on Tuesday while catching squid outside Taiwan-controlled waters off the outlying Kinmen County.

The Penghu-registered Da Jin Man No.88 was boarded and seized by China Coast Guard personnel at a location east-northeast of Liaoluo Bay 17.5 nautical miles outside Taiwan-controlled "restricted waters" off the Kinmen Islands during China's closed season, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a statement on Tuesday night.

The vessel was intercepted by three China Coast Guard vessels at 9:14 p.m., and the CGA sent three ships in an attempt to rescue the Taiwanese vessel and issued broadcasts demanding that the Chinese coast guard ships release Da Jin Man No. 88 immediately, according to the statement.

During the chase, the CGA detected four other China Coast Guard ships coming to the scene and had to stop the rescue mission to avoid "escalating tensions," the CGA said.

Subsequent communication regarding the incident will be carried out between the Mainland Affairs Council, the Fisheries Agency and relevant Chinese authorities, the CGA said.

Update

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