CGA expels Chinese vessel from restricted Dongsha waters

Kaohsiung, March 19 (CNA) Taiwan's Coast Guard on Thursday expelled a China Coast Guard vessel that entered restricted waters near Taiwan-controlled Dongsha Island in the South China Sea, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said.

The CGA's Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a news release that the vessel was first detected at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday outside restricted waters, heading toward the area. The agency dispatched the patrol ship Kaohsiung to monitor and intercept it.

The vessel entered Taiwan's restricted waters at around 9:40 a.m., prompting the Kaohsiung to approach and issue radio warnings in Chinese and English ordering it to leave.

It exited the area at around 10:55 a.m. Thursday, the CGA said.

The administration said it has expelled four incursions involving three Chinese coast guard vessels in restricted waters near Dongsha so far this year.

It added that the repeated entries, carried out without activating automatic identification systems (AIS), could be part of gray-zone tactics aimed at testing Taiwan's monitoring and response capabilities.

The CGA condemned the actions and urged China to cease such intrusions, saying it has the determination and capability to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty and maintain maritime safety.

Dongsha Island, also known internationally as Pratas Island, is a small coral atoll currently administered by Taiwan, although China claims it as part of its broader South China Sea territory under the "Nine-dash line."