Two people from mainland China were arrested six days after illegally landing in Taiwan by inflatable boat, raising fresh concerns over the island’s coastal security amid its biggest annual military drill.
The timing of the incident has drawn scrutiny. The two men arrived just before the 10-day Han Kuang exercise, which began on August 5, and remained at large for nearly a week before being arrested.
The case only came to light on Monday after an angler reported finding an abandoned inflatable boat on July 24 at Bali Beach near the Port of Taipei, around 20km (12 miles) from the island’s political centre.
According to the fisherman’s social media posts, the boat remained on the beach for two days before he alerted police, prompting questions over whether Taiwan’s coastal surveillance system had failed to detect the landing.
Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) confirmed the case on Tuesday, saying it had immediately launched an investigation after receiving the report. It reviewed coastal surveillance footage and maritime monitoring data before arresting the two suspects at a park in Taoyuan on July 30.
They were later transferred to the Taiwan Shilin District Prosecutors Office, which ordered them detained incommunicado pending further investigation.
Prosecutors said the pair, identified by their surnames Luan and Yu, were suspected of violating the Immigration Act and the Cross-Strait Act by entering Taiwan without authorisation.
According to investigators, the men claimed they had sailed from Fujian province on a fishing trip and accidentally drifted to Taiwan after losing their way at sea. They said they had wandered into urban areas after landing and slept outdoors until their arrest.
However, investigators questioned that account, saying the pair could not explain how they had drifted all the way to the Port of Taipei. They were also unable to explain why they were carrying New Taiwan dollars in addition to mainland Chinese mobile phones.
Authorities are also investigating whether a third person entered Taiwan, as three life jackets were found aboard the inflatable boat.
The CGA said an internal investigation found that coastguard personnel had failed to follow standard operating procedures, resulting in human error.
CGA deputy director general Hsieh Ching-chin said the boat had appeared on radar only as a faint, intermittent signal.
“Although the system automatically locked onto the unidentified contact, an experienced radar operator believed it was merely ‘sea clutter’ caused by waves and manually removed the target without reporting it to supervisors, contrary to procedure,” Hsieh told reporters on Tuesday.
CGA director general Chang Chung-lung apologised for the lapse, saying the agency would hold those responsible accountable while accelerating the procurement of artificial intelligence-assisted surveillance systems, drones and other monitoring equipment to strengthen coastal security.
Controversy also arose after the angler alleged that coastguard personnel had repeatedly contacted him after he filed the report, urging him not to release photographs of the scene because doing so could affect the investigation.
The angler questioned whether the authorities were trying to protect the investigation or cover up shortcomings in Taiwan’s coastal defences. The CGA has not publicly responded to that allegation.
Military analysts said both the timing and location of the landing were significant.
Su Tzu-yun, a senior analyst at the government-funded Institute for National Defence and Security Research, noted that the landing site near Waziwei in Bali district was close to a Taiwanese military air defence base equipped with low-altitude surface-to-air missile systems.
“The successful illegal landing may have been a test,” Su said, adding that Beijing could potentially use similar routes to infiltrate special operations forces to carry out sabotage during a conflict.
Shen Ming-shih, a research fellow at the same institute, said the incident should be viewed “at the national security level”.
“The possibility is becoming increasingly high that it was intended to gather intelligence on specific Han Kuang exercise activities or military targets,” he said.
It was the third known case of mainland Chinese reaching Taiwan’s northern coast by small craft in just over two years.
In June 2024, Ruan Fangyong, a self-proclaimed former Chinese navy officer, piloted a speedboat into the mouth of the Tamsui River, about 10km from the office of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te. He later claimed he had intended to defect because of frustration with travel restrictions in mainland China.
In May last year, a mainland Chinese father and son landed by inflatable boat at Guanyin Beach near Taoyuan International Airport. They remained ashore overnight before surrendering to authorities, claiming they had come to Taiwan to “seek freedom”.
The latest incident has renewed questions over whether Beijing is testing Taiwan’s coastal defences through repeated grey-zone operations. Authorities said the motives of the two suspects remained under investigation.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification. Most countries – including the United States, Taiwan’s main international backer – do not recognise the self-ruled island as an independent state. However, Washington is opposed to any attempt to take it by force. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
