Taiwan's Coast Guard Conducts Armed Raid to Reclaim 'Hostages' Taken by Chinese Fishermen
Plus, more on the situation in Tianjin, a shadow banking collapse, and China’s “internet police.” Friday China links.
From the Tianjin explosions to a currency slide, it’s been an active week in China news. Some stories that may have slipped through the cracks:
First, an update on the situation in Tianjin. The confirmed death count has risen to 56, Xinhua reports, including 21 firefighters. We also have our first news on the scale of the destruction: “Initial estimates say the blasts have affected 17,000 households, 1,700 enterprises and 675 commercial stores, said Zhang Ruigang, vice head of Tianjin Binhai New Area.”
In other news, Taiwan’s CNA reports on a confrontation between Taiwan’s coast guard and Chinese fishermen. A fishing dispute between Taiwanese and Chinese crews turned ugly when the Chinese fishermen allegedly abducted three Taiwanese coast guard officers. The officers had boarded the Chinese vessel under an agreement in which both groups of fishermen would head to Taiwan to resolve their dispute. But the Chinese crew apparently began heading toward China instead, with the Taiwanese officers still on board.
In response, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration launched what CNA called a “commando-style operation” to rescue the men. CGA officials, armed with “9mm handguns, M16 assault rifles and Remington 870 12-gauge shotguns” stormed the Chinese fishing vessel and received the officers. In all, 14 shots were fired, according to CGA officials, but there were no injuries to either side reported.
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