Taiwan looking into asylum claim by man on dinghy

Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng yesterday said authorities were investigating whether a man from mainland China had crossed the Taiwan Strait in a rubber dinghy in a bid to seek political sanctuary.

On Saturday, police said a man surnamed Zhou had been detained in Taichung city’s harbour after locals spotted him near a dyke and said he was behaving suspiciously.

Police said the man told them he had travelled from Fujian on China’s southeastern coast in a rubber dinghy fitted with an outboard motor and 90 litres of fuel.

The man said he wanted to move to Taiwan to seek “freedom and democracy”, police said.

Chiu said “shortcomings” in how the Taiwan Strait was policed were being investigated because of the man’s journey.