Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. Photo: Courtesy of State Council Taiwan Affairs Office

On Friday, authorities of East China's Fujian Province sent one of two men who they saved near the waters of Weitou bay back to Kinmen, and relevant departments are verifying the information of the other man who has been found to be an active-duty member of the Taiwan island military and did not truthfully disclose his identity, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Friday.

In the early morning of March 18, the Fujian coast guard found a distressed fishing boat without a name in the waters of Weitou bay and rescued two people, both from Kinmen, according to Chen.

As both sides of the Taiwan Straits are one family, the mainland has been providing medical assistance and humanitarian care to the two individuals in need, offering thoughtful services, and allowing them to call their families to report their safety, said Chen.

One of the two individuals surnamed Hu is an active-duty member of the Taiwan island military and he did not truthfully disclose his identity but provided false occupational information to conceal it, Chen said, noting that relevant departments need to further verify the situation.

The other man surnamed Wu has been sent back to Kinmen on Friday, Chen said, noting that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are one family, and mutual assistance in times of danger is a tradition that should be upheld.

On February 14, a fishing boat from Fujian was chased by Taiwan authorities in waters near Kinmen, causing all four people on board to fall into the water. Two of them died. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities on the island of Taiwan have been condemned for improperly handling the incident and for treating mainland fishermen in a rough and dangerous manner. 

Global Times