Man who sailed from China to Taiwan in rubber dinghy indicted while Chinese jets surround island

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A man who sailed across the Taiwan Strait from China in a rubber dinghy has been indicted for illegally entering the island, while an unusually large number of Chinese fighter jets flew through the area in an apparent show of force.

The Chinese man, identified only by his surname, Wang, made the five-day crossing in the lightweight open boat in September to “seek freedom,” according to reports.

His landing in the northern Linkou district shocked many Taiwanese, who questioned how he had apparently evaded the island’s navy and coast guard.

Wang is being held incommunicado, a reflection of the ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China, which claims the island as its own and dispatched 27 warplanes and six vessels near Taiwan overnight.

In its indictment earlier this month, the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office said Wang, 32, phoned emergency services after his dinghy ran aground around 6:00 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2024.

Wang was equipped with 10 solar charging panels and 10 oil barrels, along with weather information on his phone, the indictment said.

China sends warplanes and ships near Taiwan on a daily basis, part of a strategy to intimidate the island’s voters and wear down the armed forces equipment and morale. Taiwan responds by scrambling jets, dispatching ships and activating coastal missile defense systems. Despite the Chinese assets crossing the center line of the Taiwan Strait that divides the sides, no incidents have been reported.

The number of assets dispatched varies greatly for reasons mostly unknown, unless they coincide with a Taiwanese diplomatic move to assert its independence.

China has also targeted Taiwanese serving and retired military personnel and in the latest case reported, a retired lieutenant general has been charged along with others with receiving around $300,000 or considerably more from China to form an armed group that would act as a type of fifth column in the event of a Chinese attack. There was no word on whether Kao An-kao or any of his alleged co-conspirators had found any recruits, according to a statement issued Wednesday.

Taiwan’s government has warned that China is massively increasing its “gray area” attacks on Taiwan using social media such as TikTok and personal contacts.