1. Taiwan speedboat incursion alert
2. Taiwan high alert speedboat incursion.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
Taipei, June 11 (CNA) Defense experts have issued a warning to Taiwan’s government to remain vigilant after the apprehension of a Chinese individual in New Taipei’s Tamsui District who claimed to have piloted a speedboat as part of a mission to “defect” from China to Taiwan.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) detained the man on Sunday after he allegedly navigated a motorboat into a harbor at the mouth of the Tamsui River, which flows into the capital city of Taipei.
The suspicious vessel was observed around 11 a.m. Sunday, located 6 nautical miles (11 kilometers) off the coast of Tamsui, according to the CGA.
Upon entering the Tamsui River, the boat collided with other vessels at a ferry terminal, prompting the operators to alert the CGA and file a report.
The intruder, identified as a 60-year-old man with the surname Ruan, is currently under investigation by Taipei prosecutors for potential violations of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, as well as the Immigration Act.
An unnamed source familiar with the incident revealed to local media that Ruan expressed a desire to seek asylum in Taiwan after making anti-Chinese government statements on online messaging platforms.
The incident has raised concerns among media and military experts due to the strategic significance of the Tamsui River, which serves as the entry point to Taipei, the nation’s political, economic, and social hub, housing key government institutions like the Presidential Office.
Taiwan’s military conducts regular drills in the Tamsui River estuary, the Port of Taipei, and Bali Beach—referred to as the “defense triangle of Taipei”—to assess its readiness to safeguard this critical area.
When asked for their insights, three defense experts informed CNA on Monday that it remains unclear whether Ruan genuinely intended to defect or if the incident was part of a Chinese government test on Taiwan’s coastal and harbor security.
Su Tzu-yun, a research fellow at the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), cast doubt on Ruan’s ability to travel over 200 km from the Chinese coast to Taiwan on a speedboat, suggesting that he may have been released from a larger vessel mid-journey.
Lin Ying-yu, an assistant professor at Tamkang University’s Institute of Strategic Studies, noted that while Taiwan possesses the technological means to monitor its shores continuously, the incident exposed weaknesses in harbor management and control.
Lin speculated that the Chinese Communist Party might have orchestrated the incident to test Taiwan’s defensive capabilities, urging the government to remain on high alert.
Shu Hsiao-huang, another INDSR member, emphasised the need for clearer jurisdiction among Taiwan’s CGA, police, and military to enable swift responses to such incidents and prevent potential future provocations from the People’s Liberation Army.
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