Taiwan navy ship and Chinese fishing boat collide, no injuries reported

(Reuters) - A Taiwanese navy landing ship and a Chinese fishing boat collided early on Thursday outside of restricted waters, and there were no injuries, the Taiwanese navy said.

The Taiwanese landing ship, the Chung Ho, collided with the Chinese trawler Minlianyu 61756 shortly after midnight around 45 nautical miles (83 km) off Taiwan's Taichung port, which sits on the Taiwan Strait, and nine nautical miles outside of "restricted waters", the navy said in a statement.

No injuries were reported on either ship and the damage sustained did not affect "safety of navigation", the navy added.

An investigation will be opened to determine responsibility, the navy said, without offering further details.

The Taiwan Strait is the site of daily Chinese and Taiwanese military activities, though both sides normally maintain a respectful distance and there have been no exchanges of fire for decades.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up its military drills around the island in recent years.

Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Sonali Paul)