DEFENSE/Chinese vessels leave waters near Taiwan after completing drills

Taipei, Dec. 13 (CNA) The nine Chinese coast guard vessels detected in waters near Taiwan following recent drills have sailed away from the island, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said on Friday.

The vessels were last spotted 43 nautical miles (79.64 kilometers) northeast of Pengjia Islet, approximately 56 km of Keelung Harbor in northern Taiwan, moving northward, the CGA said.

The administration said that the nine Chinese coast guard vessels detected on Dec. 6 in waters off Taiwan's southwest and southeast coast began sailing past Taiwan's east coast after 2:40 a.m. on Friday, apparently on their way back to China after completing exercises in the region.

The CGA said it closely monitored the situation, adding that its coast guard vessels were deployed to shadow all of the Chinese ships in a one-on-one configuration.

The CGA added that despite China's attempts to provoke Taiwan by employing a so-called "gray zone strategy," Taiwan was poised to defend its sovereignty and maritime rights.

A gray zone strategy refers to using ambiguous and non-military tactics to achieve strategic objectives while avoiding open conflict or provoking retaliation.