CGA probes videos suggesting illegal landing by Chinese man

Taipei, May 19 (CNA) Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) is investigating two videos uploaded by a Chinese man who claimed to have illegally entered Taiwan via the northern coast, it said Monday.

The CGA confirmed the veracity of the videos spread on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, which show the man sailing a rubber dinghy while speaking with a Chinese accent, with China's national flag visible in the background. He is later seen on a beach, where he plants the flag in the ground.

The man claimed that he sailed solo from a beach near Fuzhou Changle International Airport on Thursday, landed in Taiwan the same day, and then returned to China.

A GPS screenshot shown at the end of one video indicated a location along the coast of Taoyuan's Dayuan District, an area dotted with onshore wind turbines.

CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) told a news conference preliminary analysis had ruled out video forgery.

However, Hsieh noted that the man did not appear dehydrated or sunburned -- conditions typically expected after such a journey.

The CGA has requested assistance from the National Immigration Agency and the Ministry of National Defense, and is reviewing nearby CCTV footage to verify whether the man actually entered Taiwan and whether he received any help inland.

The videos, each under 40 seconds long, had earlier appeared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, but were later removed. The CGA said their removal does not affect its investigation.

On Friday, two Chinese nationals -- a father and son -- used a rubber dinghy to illegally enter another beach in Taoyuan's Guanyin District, 10.9 kilometers from the site shown in the latest videos. They were arrested shortly afterward.

Asked about the plausibility of both incidents, Hsieh said both were possible, but the Guanyin case appeared more credible based on the claimed departure points and fuel amounts involved.

Hsieh also acknowledged that the small size of inflatable boats poses a challenge to radar detection and that limited manpower further complicates surveillance efforts.

He noted that the number of infrared thermal imaging cameras installed along Taiwan's coast remains insufficient amid intensifying Chinese incursions. The CGA has sought additional funding to install more cameras and related surveillance equipment.

Citing China's "Joint Sword-2024A" military exercise following President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) inauguration on May 20, 2024, Hsieh said the recent illegal entry cases could be part of Beijing's strategy to sow confusion in Taiwan around the anniversary of Lai's assumption of office.

So far in 2025, the CGA has documented five illegal entry cases involving 38 individuals. All but two were apprehended on site.

Hsieh emphasized the exigency for harsher penalties for illegal entry.

Under the Immigration Act and the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, those who enter Taiwan without authorization may be sentenced to up to five years in prison or fined up to NT$500,000 (US$16,551).

However, Hsieh said offenders in these so-called "quasi-smuggling" cases have typically received jail terms of no more than eight months or were only fined.