BEIJING, Dec 24 (Reuters) – Chinese officials announced on Wednesday that two Taiwanese citizens were involved in a smuggling operation connected to a Chinese-crewed vessel that caused damage to undersea cables earlier this year.
In June, a Taiwanese court sentenced the Chinese captain of the Togo-registered ship, Hong Tai 58, to three years in prison for deliberately damaging undersea cables near Taiwan in February. This incident raised concerns among officials in Taipei.
On Wednesday, the public security bureau in Weihai, located in eastern Shandong province, revealed that its investigation found two Taiwanese men were leading a multi-vessel operation that was illegally transporting frozen goods into China. This conclusion came after questioning seven Chinese crew members from the Hong Tai 58.
China had previously accused Taiwan of “manipulating” the situation regarding possible Chinese involvement, claiming that Taiwan was making assertions before all the facts were known.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council responded by stating that the Chinese Communist Party does not hold authority over Taiwan. They urged Chinese officials to provide solid evidence if it exists.
“Without concrete evidence, publicly naming individuals and offering rewards is not a civilized approach,” they stated.
“This is just another case of cross-border repression and political manipulation.”
BOUNTY OFFERED FOR INFORMATION ON TAIWANESE SUSPECTS
The Weihai public security bureau has put out a bounty of up to 250,000 yuan (approximately $35,569) for information leading to the Taiwanese suspects, surnamed Chien and Chen, who have been on a wanted list from Chinese customs since 2014.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office accused Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party of heightening tensions, stating that Taipei has “ignored the facts of the case” and “maliciously inflamed” the situation.
Taipei is “harboring and tolerating smuggling activities, using this incident for political manipulation and to harm cross-strait relations,” said spokesperson Peng Qingen during a weekly press briefing.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, while Taipei insists that only the people of the island can determine their future.