Taiwan said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with China to resolve a months-long row over the deaths of two fishermen pursued by Taipei’s coast guard near its outlying islands.
The Chinese fishing boat capsized near the Taiwan-administered Kinmen islands on February 14, leaving two men dead.
Taiwan said its coast guard was following legitimate procedures when pursuing the vessel after it entered ‘prohibited waters’, but Beijing accused Taipei of ‘hiding the truth’.
The incident had raised tensions across the region—already high due to increased Chinese pressure on Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.
On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council—which deals with cross-strait issues—said the two sides had ‘reached the consensus today and they have successfully signed the negotiations’.
‘The families have no further comments on the victims and (they agree that) the cause of death is drowning,’ the statement said.
It added that the bodies had already been returned to the families.
Since the February incident, China has stepped up patrols around Taiwan’s outlying islands—including Kinmen, which is located just 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the China’s Xiamen.
China also maintains a near-daily military presence around Taiwan by deploying fighter jets, drones and warships around the island.
Analysts say the increased presence of coast guard vessels around Taiwan’s waters is a form of ‘grey zone’ harassment.
Such tactics stop short of outright acts of war, but serve to exhaust Taiwan’s armed forces by forcing them to remain continuously on high alert.