TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese surveillance ship intruded on Taiwan's territorial waters off the coast of Kinmen on Tuesday (Feb. 20).
Kuomingtang (KMT) lawmaker Wang Hong-wei (王鴻薇) said on Facebook that Chinese maritime surveillance vessel 8029 had entered Taiwan's restricted waters around Kinmen at 9:10 a.m. She questioned why the government "did not dare" to publicly announce the incident.
Wang said her office contacted the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) for confirmation, and the OAC confirmed that after Coast Guard Administration (CGA) radar detected the craft, CGA vessels were dispatched to confront the Chinese ship.
Not long after Wang broke the news, the CGA issued a statement. The CGA said at about 9:05 a.m., its radar detected "Chinese Marine Surveillance 8029" in Kinmen's waters, reported Liberty Times.
The CGA dispatched patrol boat PP-3556 to inform the Chinese vessel by radio and external loudspeaker that it was not to enter restricted waters without permission. It continued to accompany the vessel to drive it away from the area.
At about 10:05 a.m., the Chinese ship sailed out of the restricted waters and headed in a northwesterly direction. Patrol boat PP-3556 continued to patrol the nearby waters after the incident.
The CGA said it will continue to utilize radar, surveillance, and patrols to monitor the dynamics of surrounding maritime craft. It said it would adjust operations to ensure the safety of the waters around Kinmen.
(VesselFinder screenshot)