Taiwanese fisherman Chen Zhi-rong says that for decades, it was common to sail in waters that skirted the Chinese coastline.
Since Beijing seized a boat and its crew for the first time in 17 years for violating a fishing ban — and continues to detain them — all that has changed.
The Chinese Coast Guard is now "constantly” patrolling east of the median line in the Taiwan strait, said Chen, referring to the U.S.-drawn boundary that had for decades served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides.