Chinese Coast Guard ships intrude on Dongsha during Double Ten National Day celebrations; Taiwan Coast Guard vessel Tainan monitors and forces them out
Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (TCGA) Dongsha Command announced today (10th) that at 06:40 AM, approximately 23 nautical miles southwest of Dongsha Island, a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship, "3102," was detected entering Taiwan's restricted waters near Dongsha without activating its Automatic Identification System (AIS), operating covertly. TCGA immediately dispatched the pre-positioned Dongsha mission vessel, Tainan Ship, to closely monitor and force the intruding vessel to retreat.
The Coast Guard pointed out that since January of this year (2024), a total of nine Chinese Coast Guard ships have made 30 incursions into Dongsha waters. These ships often disable their AIS to conceal their movements, engaging in gray-zone tactics that exhaust Taiwan's enforcement resources and test our Coast Guard's operational deployments. This behavior not only violates international law and maritime conventions but also increases the risk of maritime conflict. The Coast Guard strongly protests and condemns these actions.
TCGA emphasized that during Taiwan's Double Ten National Day celebrations, China deliberately used Gray Zone Strategy to intrude into Dongsha waters, seeking to disrupt the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region. TCGA calls on the CCG to immediately cease these provocative activities.
Taiwan plays a central role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and is a responsible member of the international community. TCGA remains steadfast in defending national sovereignty and maritime rights while working to uphold peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.