USA “monitoring” incident involving Taiwanese fishing boat

HISTORY: ::July 3, 2024

::The White House is monitoring China’s

reported seizure of a Taiwanese fishing boat

::Karine Jean-Pierre

White House Press Secretary

::Washington, DC

“We are of course closely monitoring the incident on the fishing boat and will continue to do so.”

“Has the United States asked Japan and Taiwan for official assistance in these incidents?”

“I obviously don’t have any calls to speak to at the moment. But we encourage both sides to keep the channels of communication open so that they can come to a solution here. And that’s what we’re calling for.”

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has increased pressure on Taipei since the inauguration in May of President Lai Ching-te, a man Beijing accuses of being a “separatist.”

The squid-fishing boat was near the Taiwan-administered Kinmen Islands, which lie next to the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou, but in Chinese waters on Tuesday evening when it was boarded and intercepted by two boats from the Chinese Maritime Administration, Taiwan’s coast guard said.

The Taiwanese boat was in operation during the fishing ban period in China, the coast guard said. Taiwan will contact China and request that it release the fishermen as soon as possible.