A Taiwanese fishing boat was seized Tuesday night by China's coast guard in waters near Taiwan-controlled Kinmen, located off the coast of the mainland, according to Taipei and Beijing, which claimed the vessel was suspected of engaging in illegal fishing.
The seizure is expected to further escalate tensions between the two sides with China putting increased pressure on the island since the May inauguration of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing condemns as a separatist.
Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration urged China to avoid any "political maneuvering" that would damage cross-strait relations and release the vessel's crew members in accordance with proper procedures.
The boat, named the Dajinman No. 88, was intercepted by two Chinese vessels within Beijing's waters near Kinmen, an island group that sits only about 10 kilometers away from the Fujian Province city of Xiamen, the administration said.
It added that the Taiwanese vessel was taken to the nearby Chinese port of Weitou. Five crew members -- two Taiwanese, including the captain, and three Indonesians -- were aboard the squid-fishing boat.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and has been intensifying pressure on the self-ruled democratic island, including by expanding its coast guard patrols around Kinmen.
The Fujian coast guard boarded and seized the Taiwan vessel as it violated regulations on the fishing moratorium and carried out illegal trawling operations, the China Coast Guard said in a statement Wednesday.
Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director general of Taiwan's coast guard, told a press conference Wednesday the boat owner had been notified of the Chinese fishing ban in the sea area between May 1 and Aug. 15.
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council and Fisheries Agency will continue to negotiate with the mainland on the matter, the island's coast guard said.
According to the Taiwanese administration, the owner of the fishing boat, which is registered in the Penghu archipelago, reported at 8:14 p.m. Tuesday that the vessel was being forcibly inspected by Chinese authorities.
The administration said it dispatched ships to the scene following the report, but attempts to ask the Chinese patrol vessels to release the Dajinman No. 88 were not successful after they were intercepted by other Chinese vessels.
"To avoid escalating the conflict, the pursuit was ceased," it added in a statement.
The area, located about 20 km off the coast of Jinjiang, Fujian Province, is a traditional fishing ground for Penghu fishing boats, according to the media reports.
In February, a Chinese fishing boat capsized near Kinmen while trying to flee Taiwan's coast guard, leaving two people dead after they fell into the sea. The incident prompted China to announce that regular patrols around the area would be strengthened.
China has been attempting to change the status quo around Kinmen by sending its coast guard vessels more frequently into prohibited and restricted zones set by Taiwan.
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