Island nation of Palau in Indo-Pacific detains intruder Chinese fishing vessels; 28 fishermen, crew under arrest

Palau/Beijing: – Palau, known as the island country in the Pacific Ocean, seized intruding Chinese ships and arrested the sailors. The Palau agencies accused that the Chinese vessels were intruding into the Palau marine region for fishing. Palau is known as one of the few countries awarding recognition to Taiwan. Therefore, this action attains further significance.

It has been exposed in the past that fleets of Chinese fishing boats have attempted intrusion into the marine limits of countries in the South China Sea. These ships have the support of the Chinese navy and coast guard, and these fleets are claimed to be operating as Naval Militia. Various think tanks and analysts have argued that the Chinese communist regime is using this Naval Militia to claim rights over the marine regions outside its own maritime territory.

A few months ago, a fleet of 250 fishing boats was found to be sailing dangerously in the protected Galapagos Islands region in the Pacific Ocean. The United States and Latin American countries had taken an aggressive stance on this issue. In 2017, a big Chinese fishing boat had also been detained. But this is the first incidence of the Chinese fishing boats intruding into the Palau marine region.

The Marine Law and Enforcement Division of Palau seized seven Chinese fishing boats from the Helen Reef region. These include one large and six small boats. Twenty-eight fishermen and sailors have been arrested from the ships. Sea cucumber and other items that were found on the boats have also been seized.

Palau is a tiny island country in the western Pacific having a population of a mere 18,000. This Island country is one of the few countries on the international level awarding recognition to Taiwan. A few months ago, the country requested the United States to open a military base in the country. Currently, the country receives economic and security assistance from Australia.

Meanwhile, it is reported that a few days ago, a fleet of Chinese fishing boats was seen in the marine region near Latin America. This fleet was sailing near the maritime territory of Chile, and Chile has already sent its warships and patrol vessels for surveillance. Chile also issued a warning that illegal activities around its marine region will not be tolerated.