TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Four Chinese coast guard vessels on Tuesday (Oct. 29) entered Taiwan's restricted waters around Kinmen for the second day in a row.

Following the intrusion of four Chinese coast guard ships into Kinmen's restricted waters on Monday, four more entered the restricted area again on Tuesday morning. The Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch of the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said it had dispatched four patrol boats to drive the vessels off over two hours.

According to the CGA, radar detected three Chinese coast guard ships departing from Xiamen and one from Quanzhou around 8 a.m. The four vessels gathered south of Kinmen, approaching the boundary of the restricted maritime zone, prompting Taiwan to deploy four patrol boats.

The CGA said the Chinese vessels entered Taiwan’s waters from locations south of Kinmen’s Fuxing Islet, Zhaishan, Liaoluo, and Beiding Islet. 

Taiwan’s patrol boats approached and broadcast warnings for the Chinese vessels to leave the area. They exited the area by 11 a.m. 

The CGA said there have been 48 instances of entry into Kinmen-Matsu waters so far this year. The CGA urged China to cease actions that undermine cross-strait peace.