TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Four Chinese coast guard vessels entered Taiwan's restricted waters around Kinmen on Thursday.
At 2:50 p.m., the ships entered restricted waters in two groups, per the Coast Guard. Taiwan’s pre-positioned patrol boats approached and sailed alongside the vessels.
The Coast Guard patrol boats issued radio warnings in Mandarin and English, ordering them to change course and leave. The Chinese ships exited the restricted waters at 5:03 p.m.
The agency noted that after China implemented its summer fishing moratorium in the South China Sea starting May 1, formations of Chinese coast guard vessels have entered Taiwan’s waters under the guise of law enforcement patrols, calling it gray-zone harassment.
In response, the Coast Guard said it has maintained round-the-clock monitoring and taken countermeasures to demonstrate jurisdiction over the waters surrounding Kinmen. The agency added that it would continue to defend Taiwan’s maritime territory and safeguard fishermen’s rights.
