The Chinese authorities warned this Wednesday that Taiwan will have to "face the consequences" of the incident that occurred in the South China Sea, in which a Taiwanese Coast Guard vessel used water cannons against a Chinese fishing boat near the Pratas Islands, also known as Dongsha.
Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, stated at a press conference that it is China that "holds undisputed sovereignty over these islands and their adjacent waters." "The operations of Chinese vessels in this area are completely legal and legitimate. We are determined to safeguard the lives and property of our population," he added.
In this line, he accused Taiwan of "acting in a dangerous and brutal manner" and provoking a "confrontation" in the waters of the South China Sea, for which, he emphasized, it will have to "face the consequences arising from these acts."
Furthermore, he criticized the Taiwanese authorities for "stubbornly clinging to the separatist idea of Taiwan's independence" and for treating boats coming from mainland China in a "dangerous" manner and "endangering the lives and property of the personnel involved, according to information collected by the newspaper 'Lianhe Zaobao.'
On October 1, the Taiwan Coast Guard explained that its vessel 'Yunlin' located two Chinese fishing boats, the 'Yuehuidongyu 75066' and the 'Jinsha', anchored 27 nautical miles (about 50 kilometers) east of the islands. The coast guards issued an immediate warning for them to leave the area. The first boat left, but the second remained in the zone.
After three failed attempts at communication, the Coast Guard personnel fired a warning water cannon about 200 meters from the 'Jinsha' for 30 seconds. Not receiving a response, they directed the stream directly at the bridge for about 90 seconds, until the vessel finally withdrew from those waters.