Photo: Chinanews.com

The Fujian Maritime Safety Administration, the Eastern Navigation Service Center of the National Maritime Safety Administration and the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration conducted a joint patrol activity in the waters west of the Taiwan Straits on Wednesday to further maintain the maritime navigation environment and order in the area, ensuring safety and the stability of water traffic.

According to Tu Tiekun, director of the command center at Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration, the Taiwan Straits and the coast of Fujian are areas where customary shipping routes overlap with traditional fishing grounds in the East China Sea. Combined with recent severe weather conditions such as strong winds and fog, the risk of collision between commercial and fishing vessels has increased.

This patrol aims to urge relevant vessels to take necessary risk prevention measures in adverse weather conditions, and to ensure that relevant companies strictly observe their responsibilities, and maintain the stability of water traffic safety, Tu said.

During the joint patrol activity, the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration's enforcement vessel Haixun 0802, the Eastern Navigation Service Center's vessel Haixun 16301, and the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration's vessel Haixun 01 formed a joint patrol fleet in the waters near the Jiuzhe Jiao, or Jiuzhe Reef, in Xiamen Port's main channel.

They conducted on-site patrols and inspections in key areas such as the waters west of the Taiwan Straits, Xiamen Port's main channel, anchorages, ship convergence areas, dangerous goods anchorage areas, important passenger ferry routes, and bridge areas. They focused on inspecting illegal aquaculture activities that obstruct navigation, illegal fishing operations, unauthorized occupation of waterways, navigation outside designated areas, dumping of waste and pollution at sea, and disruption of maritime communication. They also inspected maritime navigation aids, conducted comprehensive checks for navigation safety hazards, and promoted joint governance between commercial and fishing vessels to maintain safe and smooth navigation routes.

During the patrol, the Fujian and the Shanghai maritime safety administrations conducted exchanges on navigation and law enforcement in the middle to far seas and the Taiwan Straits, strengthening information sharing and coordinated response to enhance regulatory models and law enforcement mechanisms.

The Haixun 01 vessel, which undertook the joint patrol task, is the first large-scale patrol and rescue ship in the Chinese mainland with both maritime supervision and rescue functions.

Zhang Wensheng, deputy dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, believes that strengthened patrols are related to the fatal boat incident near Kinmen on February 14, when Taiwan authorities chased a Chinese mainland fishing boat, leading to its capsize in waters near Kinmen Island, just a few kilometers off Xiamen city, Fujian Province, resulting in the deaths of two mainland fishermen.

Also, considering that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) recently announced that live-fire drills will be conducted in April in locations including Kinmen and Lieyu, Zhang told the Global Times on Thursday that the mainland's strengthening of coastal fishing protection to maintain maritime security and order can be seen as a form of statement.

On Thursday, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MOD) made comments on a regular patrol on February 19 when mainland coast guard personnel boarded a Kinmen tourist boat in the Xiamen-Kinmen waters for the first time to conduct an inspection.

Wu stated that Taiwan belongs to China, and there is no such thing as "prohibited or restricted waters" in the Xiamen-Kinmen waters.

The mainland coast guard departments carry out regular law enforcement patrol operations, which is conducive to maintaining normal order in relevant waters and protecting the life and property of fishermen on both sides of the Straits.

In the collision incident near Kinmen, the DPP authorities trampled on human life and evaded responsibility, which has aroused the public anger of compatriots on both sides of the Straits, and they must give everyone a clear explanation, Wu stressed.

He noted that the PLA pays close attention to the maritime situation, makes full preparations to deal with emergencies, and resolutely maintains peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.