Taiwanese prosecutors have charged two Chinese men who slipped into Taiwan by rubber boat, a case that has rattled public confidence in the island's coastal defenses.

• Two men from China sailed from the coast of Fujian and landed near Taipei Port in July, then travelled freely across several cities in northern and central Taiwan.
• They were only caught a week later, after an angler spotted the abandoned boat with simplified-Chinese wrappers and life jackets aboard and reported it.
• Prosecutors want two years in prison each, saying the pair damaged border control and coastal security and badly unsettled the public.
• The pair planned the trip carefully, driving from Shandong and buying a boat motor along the way before setting out before dawn.

Outlook: The case will push Taiwan to tighten coastal patrols, as similar small-boat crossings keep exposing gaps in its sea defenses.