Coast guard expels Chinese vessels from Taiping Island restricted waters

Taipei, June 11 (CNA) Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Thursday condemned China after two Chinese official vessels briefly entered restricted waters near a Taiwan-controlled island in the South China Sea for the first time, an act Taipei views as a violation of its sovereignty.

The CGA issued its "strongest condemnation" of China after the patrol vessel Sansha Zhifa 301 and the supply ship Sansha 2 were detected entering restricted waters around Taiping Island twice on Thursday morning, according to a CGA press release.

During the two incursions, at 8:28 a.m. and 8:31 a.m., the two Chinese vessels also made two abrupt, sharp turns that could have jeopardized the safety of Taiwanese coast guard personnel on the CGA patrol boats CP-1039 and CP-1083, which tracked and monitored the Chinese vessels while ordering them to leave the area, the agency said.

The two Chinese vessels were forced out of the area, which extends 4,000 to 6,000 meters from the coast, at around 8:43 a.m., it added.

The CGA said it strongly condemns China's actions and will take all necessary measures to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty and ensure maritime security.

The latest incident marks the first time the CGA has detected a Chinese official vessel entering Taiping Island's restricted waters.

It also follows a series of similar incursions by Chinese coast guard vessels into waters east of Taiwan and around Dongsha Island in recent weeks, according to the CGA.

China has launched several rounds of "special maritime law enforcement operations" since earlier this month in response to what it described as unilateral moves by Japan and the Philippines to begin talks on maritime boundary delimitation east of Taiwan.

Beijing said the talks seriously infringed upon China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.

Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, lies about 1,600 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung and is staffed by about 200 Coast Guard personnel.

Taiping Island and Dongsha Island -- internationally known as Pratas Island -- which lies about 450 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung and is staffed by around 300 CGA personnel, are the two island groups controlled by Taiwan in the South China Sea.