Taiwan arrests Chinese man who took speedboat into Taipei harbor

FILE - The Taiwanese coast guard monitors a boat off the coast of northern Taiwan, in this photo taken by the Taiwan Coast Guard on May 23, 2024. A Chinese man in a speedboat was arrested June 10, 2024, for entering a harbor at the mouth of a river leading into Taipei.

Taiwan has arrested a Chinese man who sailed a speedboat into a harbor at the mouth of a river leading into Taipei for illegal entry, the Taiwanese coast guard said Monday.

Taiwan keeps a close watch on its waters and air space, given tensions with China, which views the democratically governed island as its own territory, a claim Taipei rejects.

Taiwan's coast guard said a suspicious vessel was spotted on Sunday morning six nautical miles (11 km) off the coast of Tamsui in northern Taiwan. After entering the Tamsui River, which leads to downtown Taipei, the boat collided with other vessels at a ferry terminal.

A lone Chinese man on the vessel was arrested on suspicion of violating Taiwan's entry and exit laws, the coast guard said.