TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Last month, a Chinese warship monitored a Dutch naval vessel on the east side of the Taiwan Strait median line in an attempt to portray the area as China's “internal waters."

On May 31, the Dutch Navy frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) sailed through the Taiwan Strait from south to north, reported Liberty Times (LTN). In the past, Chinese warships would monitor such transits on the west side of the median line, but in this case, a Type 054A guided-missile frigate (Hull 533) tracked the Dutch ship from the east side of the line. 

A military source told LTN Friday (June 14) that this is the second time a Chinese warship was positioned east of the median line this year. The previous instance was when a Turkish warship transited the Taiwan Strait.

The HNLMS Tromp is in Japan making goodwill visits to major ports. The ship also participated in the first-ever joint exercise between the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, showing the two countries’ “strong will to achieve the vision of ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ by demonstrating our readiness posture here in the East China Sea," stated Japan's Self Defense Fleet on June 11.

The source said that although the Chinese warship was east of the median line, it maintained a distance from Taiwan's 44-kilometer (24-nautical mile) contiguous zone. China's “disregard for the tacit understanding of the median line and attempts to portray the Taiwan Strait as internal waters are quite obvious.” The source warned this tactic reduces the range that the Taiwan Navy has to react. 

The source said Taiwan's air and maritime domains are facing increasing provocations and pressure from the Chinese military. Nevertheless, the source said the military has contingency plans and is confident in safeguarding the nation's maritime security.

The Taiwanese military generally adopts a "one-for-one" monitoring approach, dispatching one ship for every Chinese vessel entering Taiwan's waters, according to the report. However, when China sends more than 10 warships and coast guard vessels, coordination with the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) is requested to deploy CGA ships to monitor Chinese ships.