A Chinese man sailed in his dinghy from China to Taiwan for 13 hours. He believes that the idea of ’freedom and democracy would have a better future for him, so he decided to sail from China to Taiwan.
33-year-old Zhou bought a dinghy from an online store. He then used it to sail from Quanzhou, Fujian province in China, to the port of Taichung in Taiwan.
The locals found Zhou on the water and seemed exhausted. He was wearing only a thin jacket, shorts, without shoes. He also had no ID and had only 100 yuan or 480 baht with him.
Zhou said he was born and raised in Sichuan, but the economy forced him to relocate for work. He always thought that one day a better life was waiting for him. He made a plan and bought a dinghy with a motor from an online store for 16,000 yuan or about 76,000 baht. Zhou then drove to another town where the boat was parked. He jumped on it and never looked back.
He was on the boat for 13 hours when he finally arrived in Taiwan. When he arrived, Zhou asked workers at the port, this helped confirm he had actually arrived. When asked why he wanted to flee China, Zhou said, “He wanted freedom and democracy.”
Coast Guard officials checked him for the coronavirus and quarantined him for 14 days. This is in line with the security measures in place during these times of Covid-19. After he ends quarantine, the man will be prosecuted under Taiwan’s immigration laws.
He is facing imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of more than 100,000 Baht. Taiwanese authorities are investigating how the man managed to cross the Taiwan Strait, especially on a small dinghy. The Taiwan Strait is said to be a heavily militarized waterway.
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