China should stop illegal drilling near Pratas Island: Presidential Office

Taipei, Sept. 3 (CNA) Taiwan's Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said Wednesday that Beijing should halt its illegal marine drilling operations in waters around Taiwan, after it was reported that Chinese oil rigs and ships had been spotted near Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island.

The report, published Tuesday by the U.S.-based think tank Jamestown Foundation, said that the Chinese installations -- seven rig structures, three floating production storage and offloading vessels, and two semi-submersible oil platforms -- were seen within Taiwan's claimed exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Pratas Island.

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

The Jamestown Foundation report examined China's use of drilling platforms near Pratas Island to assert territorial claims, conduct gray zone operations, and pressure Taiwan without engaging in direct military conflict.

Commenting on the report, Kuo said Taiwan's defense and security agencies are closely monitoring the situation and assessing China's activities and the associated risks to determine what measures should be taken.

China's installation in recent years of drilling platforms and other facilities in the EEZs and continental shelves of countries like South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and others in the South China Sea is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international norms, she said.

Furthermore, such activities undermine international order and pose uncertain risks to regional stability, Kuo said.

China should clearly explain its actions and immediately halt its illegal operations, she said.

Taiwan will cooperate with the relevant countries in the region to devise a joint response to these issues, in order to ensure regional security and stability, Kuo added.