TAIWAN PROBING CHINA RUBBER BOAT DEFECTOR CLAIM

Taiwan's defense minister on Monday said authorities were investigating whether a man from mainland China had managed to cross the Taiwan Strait in a rubber dinghy in a bid to seek political sanctuary, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

On Saturday, police said a man surnamed Zhou had been detained in Taichung city's harbor after locals spotted him near a dyke and said he was behaving suspiciously.

Police said the man told them he had traveled from Fujian on China's southeastern coast in a rubber dinghy fitted with an outboard motor and 90 liters of fuel. The man said he wanted to move to Taiwan to seek "freedom and democracy", police said.

Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said "shortcomings" in how the Taiwan Strait is policed were being investigated because of the man's journey.

"We will get in touch with the coastguard, we will notify each other when there is a situation, to find out the reasons and make improvements," Chiu told reporters on Monday.

The Taiwan Strait is one of the world's most heavily policed waterways.

Authoritarian China views self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary. Navy and coastguard vessels from both sides keep a close eye on the 180 kilometer (110 miles) strait.

While there have been historical defections between the two sides -- and some Chinese nationals have flown to Taiwan to ask for sanctuary -- journeys across the length of the strait are rare, especially given Taipei controls a few islands that are just a few miles off China's coastline and much closer.

WEEKLY FEATURE : TRUEMONEY PHILIPPINES BUCKS THE COVID-19 CHALLENGE