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Spikes, Kinmen Island and the Chinese city of Xiamen in the background: aggravated situation

Photo: Ann Wang / REUTERS

The government of Taiwan says it has discovered several Chinese surveillance and coast guard ships around its Kinmen archipelago.

A ship entered restricted waters there on Monday and four coast guard ships entered restricted waters, said the Minister of the Council for Ocean Affairs, Kuan Bi-ling, now in Taipei.

“They didn't stay there long, though.

"The Coast Guard responded appropriately and used the radio to ask the Chinese vessels to move away," she said.

Kinmen, with more than 140,000 inhabitants, is located just a few kilometers from the Chinese city of Xiamen in the southeast of the People's Republic.

Although it has never ruled Taiwan, the ruling Communist Party in Beijing counts the island republic as part of China.

There are therefore repeated tensions and demonstrations of military power by China in the strait between the two countries.

Death of Chinese fishermen worsens the situation

Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said the Taiwan Coast Guard was monitoring the situation and that as long as the situation did not pose a threat to ground forces, the ministry had no further comment.

Most recently, the death of two Chinese fishermen near Kinmen on February 14th worsened relations between China and Taiwan.

The unnamed and uncertified boat, crewed by four sailors, entered the waters there and was pursued by the Taiwan Coast Guard, causing it to capsize.

Taiwan said the fishermen on the illegal boat tried to evade inspection.

China called it a "malicious incident" and increased its coast guard presence in the area.

A few days after the accident, Chinese officials inspected a Taiwanese tour boat, which Taipei viewed as a violation of its sovereignty.

Beijing's state media also reported on coast guard exercises in the area at the weekend.

In Taipei, activists from the Economic and Democracy Union demonstrated on Tuesday in front of the headquarters of a travel association set up there by China's tourism authority.

They demanded that Taiwanese stop traveling to China and boycott Chinese tourism.

aeh/dpa