Chinese Boat Speeds into Tamsui, Shattering President Lai's National Security Myth
United Daily News Editorial, June 12, 2024
During the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend, a mainland Chinese speedboat departed from Ningde in Fujian and sped directly to the Tamsui River estuary, crashing into Fisherman's Wharf. This marks the first time that a mainland Chinese individual attempted an illegal entry so close to the Presidential Office Building since the government intensified its efforts to combat gray zone warfare. This mainland boat not only overpowered the national military and coast guard but also shattered the illusion of national security preparedness that President Lai Ching-te has promoted since taking office to reassure the public.
The harassment of our coastline by mainland Chinese military police and civilian vessels is gradually becoming normalized, occurring at any time and in any form, and increasingly closer to our shores. The last time such an incursion happened was in March this year. Three fishing boats from Fujian crossed the median line and illegally fished six nautical miles off the coast of Miaoli. Three months later, a speedboat from Ningde made a direct run for Tamsui. Both incidents were reported by local fishermen, prompting coast guard personnel to monitor the situation via radar; however, they did not proceed to the scene to expel the intruders.
The reasons given for no direct engagement with the intruding fishing boat are poor sea conditions and the larger size of the Fujian fishing boats compared to our vessels. However, this time, despite favorable sea conditions and the intruding boat being only a six-ton vessel, the coast guard claimed they did not set sail due to a "mistaken identification as a domestic vessel." Even more astonishingly, the coast guard only arrived to seize the boat and arrest the individuals after being alerted by a bystander who was asked by the intruders to report the incident.
The incident involving the mainland Chinese boat was not reported until the following day. In its press release, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA), Ocean Affairs Council (OAC), claimed to have had "full control" of the situation as usual, without mentioning the fishermen's report. The fact that the smuggling boat was able to breach multiple layers of naval defense and enter the core area of the third operational zone highlights a serious lapse in defense. The military has remained silent on this matter.
The public expressed dissatisfaction and criticism, questioning whether the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the CGA are merely paper tigers. They asked, "Didn't the Minister of National Defense approve the right of self-defense to any entry within twelve nautical miles without permission? How can the situation escalate to direct landing?" The public may deeply resent China’s provocative actions, but the government's lack of prior awareness and its use of falsehoods to respond to inquiries afterward only fuel anger. Imagine witnessing a mainland Chinese speedboat landing directly at the harbor during a holiday trip — how could the public not be fearful and alarmed?
Ironically, Communist China’s loud military drills aimed at deterring Taiwan independence are less impactful than a small boat making a resounding statement. Recently, the Lai administration has deliberately downplayed military tensions in the Taiwan Strait, even releasing photos of F-16s monitoring mainland Chinese warplanes during exercises to highlight a tit-for-tat stance. However, Tamsui, one of the most critical military strongholds in northern Taiwan, which has been the presumed target in multiple military exercises, was surprisingly breached so easily. Just before the Dragon Boat Festival, Minister Kuan Bi-ling of the OAC claimed that the MND and the CGA had measures in place to counter gray zone harassment. Unexpectedly, the response turned out to be a green light, allowing the passage.
President Lai's inaugural speech took an aggressive tone, only to be followed by a display of laxity from the national security team. Worryingly, national security decision-making appears to exhibit a "dissociation" phenomenon, disconnected from reality, with policies and team actions highly uncoordinated. Yet, amid rising cross-strait tensions, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo announced the cancellation of the regulation that prohibited both the chief and deputy officers of a unit from leaving the camp simultaneously. He also allowed soldiers to travel abroad freely without joining tour groups. Minister Koo's pretense of being worry-free was shattered when, three days later, the “Chinese boat” incident occurred. Netizens sarcastically asked if the small boat's unimpeded entry was because the military command system was on vacation.
Equally contradictory is President Lai's appointment of Legislator-at-large Shen Po-yang, who constantly exaggerates the presence of local collaborators with the CCP in Taiwan, even claiming that the "fifth column" numbers in the hundreds of thousands. If infiltration from the other side is so severe, why isn’t the military operating as if it were wartime? Even more absurd, Legislator Shen advocates for the establishment of a command center to monitor the fifth column, labeling mainland Chinese spouses and Taiwanese business people in China as "high-risk groups." Coincidentally, Chairman Cheng Wen-tsan of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) also spoke to the media, stating that "Chinese spouses are often politically labeled. They should not be too quickly categorized politically, but rather approached from a humanitarian perspective.”
Legislator Shen and Chairman Cheng, both appointed by President Lai, have vastly different attitudes towards individuals involved with China, highlighting Lai's tendency for a two-pronged strategy. However, national security issues should not be subject to opportunistic and erratic stances. If a small boat cannot be stopped, yet there is grand talk of monitoring hundreds of thousands in the fifth column, the Lai administration's ability to intimidate and take action falls far short.