Taiwan requests Beijing to cooperate in combating Chinese ships' unlawful sand dredging

Beijing should work with Taipei to stop Chinese ships from excavating illicit sand, according to a statement by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Tai-san. As per the reports of Taiwan News, the Minister stressed that the practice of Chinese dredgers entering Taiwan waters is harmful to the environment and depletes resources for the local fishing industry. He also stated that the authorities should continue to take action against illegal dredging whilst also communicating with China to persuade them to uphold the law.

According to Chiu, illegal activities are most common in the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu off the coast of Fujian, China, and near Penghu in the Taiwan Strait. The proof of the breaches has been submitted to Beijing under prior cross-strait accords aimed at combating crime. Officials highlighted China's increasing maritime law, which threatens free navigation in the Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia while also strengthening the country's coast guard into a "second Navy," at the MAC meeting on Tuesday.

Taiwan and the United States signed a memorandum in March

According to Taiwan News, previous cross-strait accords aimed at combating crime have provided China with evidence of the violations. China's increasing maritime legislation, which threatens free navigation in the Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia while upgrading its coast guard into a "second navy," was also discussed at the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) conference on Tuesday. In March, Taiwan and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding that allows their coast guards to work together on enforcing laws and performing rescue missions.

On the other hand, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence, around 20 Chinese fighter jets have flown into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the last 24 hours. The ministry stated on Saturday evening that 10 Shenyang J-16 fighter jets and six Chengdu J-10 fighter jets had breached Taiwan's ADIZ. The 16 planes flew near the Dongsha Islands, in Taiwan's southwest region, inside the ADIZ.

Taiwan's reserve forces' mandatory refresher training has been extended

The number of incursions has increased in recent months, as Beijing asserts ultimate control over Taiwan's democratic island. Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng stated in October that Beijing could conquer the island militarily by 2025. As a result, Taiwan's reserve forces' mandatory refresher training has been extended.

(With Inputs from ANI)

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