Illegal entry from mainland China raises alarms about Taiwan’s maritime security

A man from mainland China reportedly entered Taiwan illegally by sea and spent more than a month travelling freely around the island before surrendering to immigration authorities – exposing yet another loophole in the island’s maritime security.

The man – identified only by his surname, Li – departed from a beach near Fuzhou, Fujian province in September 2023, according to Taiwanese media, which first reported on the case on Wednesday.

He boarded a mainland Chinese cargo vessel, sailing under the Tanzanian flag, in the Taiwan Strait after arrangements were made through a human smuggling network, according to the reports, which cited court records.

The ship docked in Kaohsiung on October 7 of that year. With the help of a smuggling agent, Li disembarked illegally, checked into a guest house in the city’s Cijin district, and then travelled undetected across Taiwan for over a month.

He voluntarily turned himself in on November 13 of that year to the Kaohsiung office of Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency. Prosecutors charged him with violating Taiwan’s Immigration Act. According to news reports, a district court handed down a lenient sentence due to his self-surrender: 30 days in detention or a NT$30,000 (US$995) fine.

Li’s whereabouts and activities during his time in Taiwan remain unknown. The district court did not immediately respond to the Post’s request for comment.

South China Morning Post