Two Chinese fishermen die after chase with Taiwan’s Coast Guard, which alleges trespassing

By HUIZHONG WU
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Taiwan’s Coast Guard says two Chinese fishermen have drowned while being chased by the coast guard off the coast of Taiwan’s Kinmen archipelago. The coast guard says the vessel had been trespassing by sailing about one nautical mile off the coast of an islet. A coast guard official says four fishermen fell into the water and two survived, while resuscitation efforts on the other two failed. Kinmen is closer to China than it is to Taiwan’s main island. China claims all of Taiwan as part of its territory. The fishermen’s deaths are unusual despite the level of Chinese activity in the waters near Kinmen.