Taiwan: Coast Guard drove away 16 Chinese vessels at “multiple points” – research ships in restricted waters, patrols around Pratas

Taiwan’s Coast Guard announced on Sunday, October 18 that it drove away 16 Chinese vessels that took part in a coordinated harassment operation at several points around the island. According to the announcement of the Coast Guard Administration, as published in full by Liberty Times, China mobilised coast guard vessels, research ships and fishing boats, which operated off Hualien, Pingtung and Kaohsiung and around the Pratas Islands. Taiwan’s Coast Guard sent vessels and drove them away by shadowing and radio warnings.

Around Pratas, the Chinese coast guard vessels 3301 and 3303 circled the island in opposite directions, while the Taiwanese patrol vessels Qijin and Taichung followed them closely. “The Republic of China, Taiwan, is a sovereign and independent state and is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China. You entered our waters without permission, violating international law. Turn around immediately and leave,” was the warning from the Taichung. The two Chinese vessels had left the restricted waters by noon. Pratas lies in the South China Sea, about 440 kilometres south-west of Kaohsiung, and is controlled by Taiwan.

Research ships in restricted waters

East of Hualien, the research ship Tansuo-3 tried to enter restricted waters, while south-west of Cape Eluanbi the research vessel Beidiao 996 entered before dawn and withdrew after 12 warnings. South-west of Kaohsiung harbour, a Taiwanese fishing boat was harassed by the Chinese research vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 and by steel-hulled fishing boats, and the patrol vessel Pingtung escorted it.

“China mobilised 12 coast guard and research vessels and 4 fishing boats to launch hybrid harassment in many sea areas. This behaviour, which tries with false law enforcement and real expansion of authority to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, will only provoke the reaction of the Taiwanese people,” the Coast Guard said, expressing its “most severe condemnation”. On October 1 the Coast Guard had used a water cannon against a Chinese vessel near Pratas. Chinese coast guard and research vessels around Taiwan reached a record 244 in July, while in June Beijing began law-enforcement patrols east of the island.

Taiwan is strengthening its Coast Guard fleet, which is buying American unmanned vessels, and its army recently completed the Lu Sheng 2 exercise, in which the response to Chinese ships was also simulated.