Mainland law-enforcement patrols near Kinmen legitimate: spokesperson

BEIJING -- Law-enforcement patrols conducted by the Chinese mainland coast guard authority in the waters around Kinmen are legitimate actions designed to protect the order of operations in the area, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when asked if the coast guard's recent patrols were aimed at pressuring Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities to settle the fatal fishing boat incident in the waters.

The incident in February was caused by the Taiwan side's brutal expulsion of a mainland fishing boat and resulted in injuries and deaths of the fishermen aboard.

The mainland will not tolerate the DPP authorities' brutal actions in disregard of the safety and property of the mainland fishermen, Chen said.

"The DPP authority should offer an explanation to the bereaved families and compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait at an early date; otherwise, they will be held accountable for all outcomes," he said.

Noting that it was the relevant departments' untrustworthiness and irresponsibility that kept the incident unresolved, Chen urged the DPP authorities to stop political maneuvering, demonstrate its sincerity, and address the issue with real actions.