China Coast Guard vessel harasses Dongsha Waters; Taiwan Coast Guard Administration dispatches “Tainan” for monitoring and expulsion
At 20:20 on August 26, Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (TCGA) Dongsha Command detected China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel “3102” sailing toward Dongsha waters outside the restricted waters northwest of Dongsha Island.
Based on its course, it was assessed that the vessel might enter Taiwan’s jurisdictional waters. TCGA immediately dispatched the mission vessel “Tainan” to respond and drive the vessel away.
At 20:54, TCGA vessel “Tainan” arrived 25 nautical miles northwest of Dongsha Island and began escort monitoring while broadcasting warnings to expel the vessel.
TCGA vessel “Tainan” repeatedly issued radio broadcasts demanding that vessel 3102 leave Taiwan’s waters and continued escort monitoring. During the operation, the closest distance between the two vessels was 0.5 nautical miles.
At 02:39 on August 28, CCG vessel 3102 sailed away from Dongsha waters 27 nautical miles southwest of Dongsha Island, heading west-northwest at 10 knots.
TCGA assessed that this operation may have been intended to test Taiwan’s maritime deployment and consume its law enforcement resources.
TCGA stated that CCG vessels have frequently harassed Dongsha and Kinmen waters in recent years. This year alone, 9 vessels conducted 25 harassment voyages in Dongsha waters, seriously affecting regional security and stability and undermining international trust mechanisms.
TCGA will continue deploying patrol vessels to guard Dongsha waters, firmly safeguarding national sovereignty and maritime rights, and calls on the international community to jointly maintain peace and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.