JAPAN COAST GUARD SHIP COLLIDES WITH TAIWANESE FISHING VESSEL

A Japanese Coast Guard patrol ship and a Taiwanese fishing boat were involved in a minor collision on Sunday off the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, according to Japanese and Taiwanese authorities. 

The incident occurred within Japanese territorial waters off the Japan-administered islets when the patrol boat was warning the boat to leave the waters while sailing side by side with it, the Japan Coast Guard said, Kyodo news agency reported.

No one on either side was injured in the incident, according to the authorities. The coast guard said the Taiwanese boat was fishing illegally. The Japanese coast guard said the fishing boat got close to one of its patrol ships, resulting in a brush between the former's bow and the latter's stern.

Taiwan's coast guard said the boat carrying seven crew members returned to a port in the northeastern county of Yilan on Monday morning. The uninhabited group of islets is administered by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan. China calls them Diaoyu, while Taiwan calls them Tiaoyutai. Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the Fisheries Agency and Coast Guard Administration (CGA) are currently probing the incident to determine which party was responsible for the incident, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Wu also voiced the grave concerns of Taiwan's government over the incident and called on the Japanese side to take no actions that undermine the interests of Taiwanese fishermen. According to the foreign ministry, the Su'ao-registered fishing boat, the "Hsin Ling Po 236," was hit by Japanese Coast Guard vessel PS-32 at around 2 p.m., Sunday, adding that all crew members on the Taiwanese ship are safe.

The Financial District would like to learn more from its audience. Can you please give us feedback on this article you just read. Click Here to participate in our online survey.