In an ongoing display of tensions, Taiwan issued a warning to Chinese coast guard ships that violated its restricted waters near the Kinmen islands for the second day in a row. The Taiwan coast guard reported that four Chinese coast guard boats entered the waters early on Saturday and remained for over an hour despite being asked to leave by Taiwanese authorities.

The Kinmen islands, which are under Taiwan's control but lie close to the Chinese coast, have become a site of contention between the two nations. China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, although the island nation vehemently rejects this stance. China has increased military activities near Taiwan in recent years, including frequent incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zones.

In footage released by Taiwan's coast guard, a Taiwanese official can be heard broadcasting a message to their Chinese counterparts, demanding that they immediately turn around as they had entered Taiwan's restricted waters. The footage also shows a Taiwanese coast guard boat monitoring the movement of two Chinese ships in close proximity.

The Taiwan coast guard stated that the incursion had significantly impacted traffic and safety and called on China to cease such behaviors to prevent naval incidents. China's coast guard has not issued a comment, as they do not have publicly available contact information.

This is not the first time Chinese coast guard boats have intruded near the Kinmen islands. Last month, China increased patrols around Kinmen after two Chinese nationals died while attempting to flee Taiwan's coast guard in prohibited waters.

Despite the escalating tensions, Taiwan has emphasized the importance of cooperation between themselves and China. In a demonstration of this, Taiwan's coast guard joined a rescue mission at China's request after a Chinese fishing vessel capsized near the Kinmen islands on Thursday. Additionally, Taiwan dispatched several boats to help search for a Chinese fisherman who went overboard near the Taiwan-controlled Matsu islands at China's request on Friday.

However, a senior Taiwan security official, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter, expressed confusion over China's conflicting actions. The official stated that while Beijing seeks assistance from Taipei in dealing with maritime incidents, their continued harassment of Taiwan sends mixed messages. The official noted that the recent actions by the Chinese coast guard did not pose substantial security threats but further complicated the situation near Kinmen.

Last week, Taiwan's top China policy-making body urged China to maintain the "status quo" in waters near the Kinmen islands and refrain from sending coast guard boats into restricted areas. As tensions persist, the situation in the Taiwan Strait remains fragile, with both sides continuing to engage in maritime displays of power.