Mainland urges Taiwan to thoroughly probe fatal boat incident

BEIJING -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday again urged Taiwan to thoroughly probe into a fatal boat incident around five months ago to reach a just conclusion and hold those involved accountable.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a media question concerning recent progress on resolving the incident.

On Tuesday, the bodies of two mainland fishermen killed in the boat incident near the island of Kinmen were returned to the Chinese mainland, along with a detained fishing boat. The fishing boat was chased and hit by a Taiwan patrol ship on Feb. 14. Four fishermen aboard fell into the sea, and two of them died.

Chen said relevant authorities in Taiwan should respect the fact that fishermen from both sides of the Taiwan Strait operate in traditional fishing zones, and should stop seizing mainland fishing boats and stop treating mainland fishermen in a rough and dangerous manner to ensure their safety.