DEFENSE/4 Chinese coast guard ships expelled as PLA conducts drills near Taiwan

Taipei, Oct. 14 (CNA) Taiwan on Monday expelled four Chinese coast guard ships that entered Taiwan-controlled "restricted waters" off the Matsu Islands shortly after the People's Liberation Army announced the start of its Joint Sword-2024B drills around Taiwan.

In a statement, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said it had detected two China Coast Guard ships west of Nangan Island and another two north of Dongyin Island at 8 a.m. Monday.

After Chinese ships sailed into restricted waters off Matsu shortly afterward, the CGA's Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch deployed four patrol vessels to shadow and move on the intruders, according to the statement.

The fresh incidents pushed up the number of China's intrusions into Taiwan-controlled waters off its outlying islands to 44 this year, the CGA said, adding that this kind of behavior does not help exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

In addition, the CGA noted that it has created a task force to respond to "abnormal" Chinese coast guard activities that began around 11 a.m. Monday.

Several of the Chinese ships crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and loitered in waters off the northern, southwestern, and eastern parts of Taiwan's shores, the CGA said.

The CGA said it dispatched patrol vessels to assist the Ministry of National Defense in monitoring the Chinese ships.

Meanwhile, the CGA and Army troops stationed on Menghu Islet near Kinmen Island detected a seaborne target moving toward the islet at 7:06 a.m., according to the CGA.

After personnel on two CGA patrol vessels stationed nearby deemed the target suspicious, they proceeded to intercept it at the shore of Menghu Islet, where they arrested a Chinese citizen in an inflatable boat.

The suspect and the boat are being held at Liaoluo Port pending an investigation by the Kinmen District Prosecutors Office, the CGA said.

Noting that the lone intruder could be a gray zone tactic China employs alongside the Joint Sword-2024B drills, the CGA said it had stepped up surveillance of critical maritime law enforcement zones and would ensure timely communication with friendly foreign forces.