00:00On Jinmen's sandy shores, an unusual sight.
00:03Taiwanese and Chinese athletes engaged in friendly competition.
00:08Their goal, swimming the seven kilometers from Taiwan to the Chinese city of Xiamen,
00:13a stone's throw away.
00:14I'm from Shanghai.
00:15These competitions encourage people from the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau,
00:20to interact with each other.
00:25While their rivalry remains friendly,
00:27the waters they're crossing are increasingly contested.
00:31In recent months, China has bolstered its military activities
00:34and Coast Guard presence in the region,
00:36holding military exercises around Jinmen for the first time ever in May
00:40and even boarding a Taiwanese vessel in February.
00:44Over there is where the ship Chury was intercepted by the Chinese Coast Guard,
00:49boarding unexpected.
00:53Since that incident, the Coast Guard has become more frequent.
00:57I'm often at sea, and I often get chased.
01:03In Jinmen, residents are used to Beijing's looming presence.
01:07But local councillor Dong Senpao warns that China's actions
01:10could still have serious consequences.
01:14The number of ships has increased and the patrol distance has shortened.
01:17The situation has heightened across strait tensions.
01:22Since February, there have been multiple incidents of Chinese boats
01:25crossing the de facto sea border between China and Taiwan.
01:28Observers describe this as part of Beijing's grey zone tactics,
01:32designed to put pressure on Taiwan's new president.
01:36If this continues, it might lead to unnecessary disputes and accidents.
01:40Both sides need a friendly communication platform to reduce such incidents,
01:45because in the event of war, civilians are the most innocent victims.
01:49While this narrow strait has become the backdrop to heightened tensions,
01:53participants in the swimming race are eager to show that the opposite can also be true.
01:58For them, this event is a reminder that cooperation
02:01across these choppy waters can be achieved.
Comments