U.S. urges China to stop pressure on Taiwan after militia vessel spotted

Washington, Oct. 8 (CNA) The U.S. State Department on Thursday described China's activities east of Taiwan as deeply destabilizing and urged Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan following a report of a Chinese maritime militia boat in the area in August.

Speaking on background in an email, a State Department spokesperson said the United States "remains concerned by China's activity east of Taiwan."

"China's actions are deeply destabilizing. By asserting authorities around maritime areas that Taiwan has peacefully administered for over 70 years, China only exacerbates tensions and undermines the peaceful resolution of issues that it claims to seek," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also urged Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan and engage in meaningful dialogue with its democratically elected authorities.

The State Department response was given to CNA after it sought comment following a Reuters report said on Thursday that a Chinese maritime militia boat, the Minfudingyu 07902, had been spotted more than 30 nautical miles off the coast of Taiwan's eastern county of Hualien in mid-August.

According to Reuters, the vessel was spotted by Taiwan's Apex Aviation.

The Minfudingyu, which Apex identified as a fishing vessel that doubles as a Chinese maritime militia vessel, was accompanied by a Chinese coast guard cutter and a research vessel at the time, the news outlet said.

Two senior Taiwanese officials who spoke on condition of anonymity was cited by Reuters as saying that Taiwan was aware of the August incident and that the authorities had identified the fishing boat as part of the People's Liberation Army's maritime militia fleet.

In response to the report, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday that China was using law enforcement and scientific research as pretexts to expand its activities without triggering a conflict, create the impression that it had jurisdiction over the waters, and challenge Taiwan's maritime law enforcement authority, undermining the international order.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said that it deploys joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to monitor Chinese vessels operating in waters around Taiwan, around the clock.

The CGA said all the Chinese vessels in question were operating outside Taiwan's restricted waters and that it had monitored their movements throughout and responded appropriately.