China Coast Guard conducts law-enforcement patrols around Taiwan in line with one-China principle: expert

China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels on Tuesday conducted law-enforcement patrols in waters around Taiwan Island in accordance with the one-China principle, said a spokesperson.

CCG fleets carried out drills such as inspection, capture, interception and detention operations against unwarranted vessels, said Zhu Anqing, spokesperson of the CCG's East China Sea Bureau.

Taiwan is a province of China, and these drills are concrete actions to exercise legitimate jurisdiction and control over the island in accordance with the one-China principle, Zhu said.

According to Zhang Chi, a professor of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) National Defense University, CCG's operations have been a highlight during joint military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan in recent years.

"In the 'Joint Sword-2024A' exercises in the first half of last year, an important breakthrough was that the main battleships and battleplanes of the Eastern Theater Command closed in on areas around the island of Taiwan, acting in concert with CCG ships to enter so-called 'restricted waters' near Wuqiu and Dongyin islands for law-enforcement patrols. This has given a clear warning to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces. Also, in the 'Joint Sword-2024B' drills in the second half of last year, there was another breakthrough – the CCG conducted patrols in the waters surrounding Taiwan island. These exercises have demonstrated the close coordination between Chinese military and police, as well as China's firm determination and great capability to lawfully enforce control over Taiwan island in accordance with the one-China principle," Zhang explained.

Zhang noted, "in the latest exercises, CCG's vessel formations once again conducted law-enforcement patrols in waters around Taiwan Island. The reason for it is to consolidate the situation where the PLA conducts routine management and control over the island of Taiwan and the outer islands according to the one-China principle."

China Coast Guard conducts law-enforcement patrols around Taiwan in line with one-China principle: expert

China Coast Guard conducts law-enforcement patrols around Taiwan in line with one-China principle: expert

The death toll from Sunday's collision between two trains in Egypt's Giza governorate has risen to seven, with 112 others injured, Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population said.

The ministry said in a statement that 45 patients had been discharged after their conditions improved and they received the necessary treatment, while seven others were expected to be discharged soon. The remaining injured were continuing to receive treatment under medical observation.

The Chinese embassy in Egypt said no Chinese casualties have been reported so far.

Earlier in the day, the ministry said in another statement that 72 ambulances took part in rescue and evacuation operations, with the injured transferred to multiple hospitals in Giza and nearby Beni Suef governorate.

Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar ordered health facilities in both governorates to raise readiness and provide all necessary medical and emergency support to the injured, according to the statement.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said in a social media post that he was closely following developments, extended his condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Sisi said he had directed state agencies to provide medical care, swiftly investigate the accident, and hold anyone found responsible for negligence accountable.

The Egyptian National Railways Authority said in an earlier statement that the accident occurred between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations when a train on the Giza-Fayoum route hit the rear of another on the Cairo-Aswan route.

Emergency teams and cranes were dispatched to clear the site and move the remaining carriages to restore services in both directions as quickly as possible, the authority said.

Egypt's railway network has long faced problems of outdated equipment and poor management, leading to frequent accidents. The country's deadliest rail disaster occurred in 2002, when a fire on a Cairo-Luxor train in Giza's Ayyat district killed over 380 people.

Death toll from Egypt's train collision rises to 7, with 112 injured