Taiwan Arrests Former Chinese Navy Captain for Illegal Speedboat Entry
Authorities in Taiwan have arrested a Chinese man who illegally entered Taipei Harbor on Sunday via speedboat. The man, identified as a former navy captain in China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), is currently under investigation.
The suspect, surnamed Ruan, was apprehended by Taiwan’s coastguard after crossing the 160km (100-mile-wide) Taiwan Strait and entering the Tamsui River. Ruan claimed he wanted to defect, but officials suspect he might have been testing Taiwan’s defensive responses.
Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council (OAC), described Ruan as “quite refined and well presented” and confirmed his previous role as a Chinese navy captain. Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo suggested this incident could be part of China’s “grey zone” tactics, which involve irregular methods to evaluate areas without direct conflict. These tactics have included sending boats and surveillance balloons over Taiwan.
Since Taiwan declared independence from China in 1949, Beijing has maintained that the island is part of its territory. The recent arrest is among 18 similar incidents over the past year, most involving islands near the Chinese coast under Taiwan’s control. Kuan indicated that Taiwan would enhance security measures and hold radar and monitoring personnel accountable for failing to detect the speedboat sooner.
This event follows a March incident where two Taiwanese fishermen strayed into Chinese waters near the Kinmen islands. One, a Taiwanese military officer, remains detained in China, while the other was released shortly after.
The latest arrest occurs amid escalating tensions between China and Taiwan, raising concerns about potential military actions by China to assert its claims over the island.