Recent incidents between Taiwanese and Chinese ships have further heightened tensions in the narrow waters between the two countries.
In Taiwan, the country’s coast guard has on Friday asked the public for help in monitoring “abnormal” activity on the coast of the island nation.
The Coast Guard announced that in the future it will reward people who report the presence of foreign warships, including Chinese ships, around the island.
As of Friday, verified reports of Chinese warships and other vessels to Taiwan’s coast guard will be rewarded with 3,000 Taiwan dollars, equivalent to about 87 euros.
In addition, rewards are granted, for example, for reporting on Chinese “stealth passengers”. The reward for this is 50,000 Taiwan dollars, i.e. more than 1400 euros.
China maintains an almost daily presence of naval vessels and warplanes around the island of Taiwan, and occasionally in the territorial waters of Taiwan’s outermost islands. Recently, a series of incidents between Taiwanese and Chinese ships have already increased tensions in the narrow waters between the two countries.
China claims the territory of Taiwan as its own, although Taiwan is practically an independent state. China has not ruled out using military force to gain control of the island.
Sources: Reuters, AFP