Taiwan coast guard expels Chinese ships from Dongsha waters

Taipei, July 16 (CNA) Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said on Wednesday that it dispatched a vessel early that morning to expel two Chinese coast guard ships that had intruded into Taiwan-controlled waters off Dongsha Island in the South China Sea.

In a statement, the CGA Dongsha-Nansha Branch said that Chinese coast guard vessel 3105 was detected entering Taiwan's jurisdictional waters around Dongsha Island, about 25 nautical miles south off Dongsha island at 12:50 a.m. Wednesday. Its vessel Hsun Hu No. 8, which was on patrol duty, was dispatched in response.

As Hsun Hu No. 8 approached to monitor vessel 3105 at 1:17 a.m., another Chinese coast guard ship, 3103, was detected 22 nautical miles southwest off Dongsha Island. It was also monitored and issued warnings to leave the area, according to the CGA.

The two Chinese vessels left the waters at around 11:35 a.m., with the Hsun Hu No. 8 monitoring their movements throughout, the CGA said.

The CGA noted that neither Chinese vessel turned on its automatic identification systems for ship tracking, attempting to hide their trails.

The administration said it does not rule out the possibility that the vessels were testing Taiwan's maritime deployment and trying to deplete the CGA's law enforcement resources during the ongoing annual Han Kuang military drills.

The CGA said Chinese coast guard ships have frequently intruded into waters near Dongsha and Kinmen in recent years, even provoking neighboring countries in the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region. These actions undermine regional safety and stability and disrupt international cooperation and trust-building mechanisms, it said.

The CGA added that it would continue to dispatch large vessels to guard the Dongsha waters and safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty and marine rights.

The CGA also called on like-minded countries to unite in defending freedom and democracy, and to help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.