Taiwan Navy ship crashes into Chinese fishing boat amid tensions

Taiwanese landing ship, Chung Ho, collided with the Chinese trawler

A Taiwanese Navy ship and a Chinese fishing boat collided in waters off central Taiwan on Thursday amid heightened tensions between the two armies.

The Taiwanese Navy said its landing ship, Chung Ho, collided with the Chinese trawler Minlianyu 61756 just after midnight on Thursday.

No injuries were reported in the collision, which occurred 45 nautical miles (83km) off Taiwan's Taichung port – the island’s second-largest port located on the Taiwan Strait – and nine nautical miles outside of "restricted waters," the navy said in a statement.

The damage sustained during the incident did not affect the ship’s "safety of navigation", the navy added.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the collision and responsibility for the incident. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the mainland and has not ruled out using force to achieve reunification. However, Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claims, sees itself as distinct from China, and has accused the mainland government of intimidation.

Chinese flags fly on fishing boats in Tailu village, on the Chinese coast opposite Taiwan’s Matsu islands, in China’s southeast Fujian province on 25 May 2024 (AFP/Getty)

A series of recent maritime incidents along the narrow waterway separating Taiwan and China has heightened diplomatic tensions.

In August 2024, three Chinese crew members on a fishing boat went missing after colliding with an unidentified vessel about 6.5 nautical miles (12km) off the coast of the Kinmen Islands.

It followed a fatal incident between a Chinese boat and the Taiwanese army on 14 February in the same year kicked off a diplomatic wrangling between Taipei and Beijing.

A Chinese fishing vessel capsized near Taiwan's Kinmen Island during a pursuit by the Taiwanese Coast Guard for alleged trespassing in restricted waters, resulting in the deaths of two Chinese fishermen. The two survivors were detained and later deported.

Taiwan has identified 2027 as a potential timeframe for a full-scale Chinese invasion in its largest annual defence drills.

The Taiwanese defence ministry unveiled the timeline in documents released on Tuesday when lawmakers and officials were briefed on the upcoming largest war games simulating an attack by the Chinese military on the annual calendar of Taiwanese forces.