TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration on Thursday condemned the first incursion by Chinese government vessels into Taiping Island’s prohibited waters, calling it a serious challenge to Taiwan’s sovereignty.
The Coast Guard said in a press release that the vessels remained in the prohibited waters for 15 minutes and twice made deliberate course changes, endangering Taiwanese vessels and personnel at sea. It described the incident as another escalation of China’s gray-zone tactics following recent operations east of Taiwan.
The CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch detected the Chinese vessels Sansha Zhi Fa 301 and San Sha 2 Hao approaching Taiping Island at 7:25 a.m. Coast Guard vessels issued radio warnings and shadowed the ships at a distance of just 0.1 nautical mile (185 meters).
At 8:28 a.m., the vessels entered restricted waters north of Taiping Island and crossed into prohibited waters three minutes later. The vessels twice made sharp course changes during the incursion before being driven away by Coast Guard vessels and departing Taiwan’s restricted waters at 8:43 a.m.
The Coast Guard stressed that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to one another and that any attempt to assert jurisdiction in Taiwan’s waters would be met with immediate expulsion. The agency said it has strengthened intelligence and surveillance efforts and stands ready to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty and maritime security.
Taiping Island, also called Itu Aba, lies in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and is the largest natural island in the archipelago. Taiwan administers it under Kaohsiung’s Cijin District and maintains a Coast Guard presence there, making the island a key point in Taiwan’s South China Sea security posture.
