Accra:Two Chinese coast guard ships entered restricted waters around Dongsha Atoll, which is controlled by Taiwan. This prompted Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) to dispatch vessels in response and issue orders for the Chinese vessels to leave the area.
According to Focus Taiwan, the incursion took place at 334 p.m. on Friday, involving Chinese vessels numbered 3301 and 3303. Taiwan's Cijin patrol ship and patrol boat PP-10032 positioned themselves alongside one of the Chinese ships, issuing warnings in both Chinese and English.
The CGA's Dongsha command initially detected the ships southwest of the atoll around 2 p.m. Evaluating their trajectories and speeds, officials anticipated the potential entry into restricted waters and instructed Taiwanese vessels to intervene.
The CGA's Dongsha-Nansha Branch reported that this year alone, 11 operations have been conducted to expel Chinese coast guard ships from the area, involving 14 separate vessel encounters. The branch also noted the incident as an example of Beijing's use of so-called law enforcement activities to assert control and create a semblance of jurisdiction over the region.
Taiwan asserts its sovereignty over Dongsha Atoll and its surrounding waters and has vowed to take all necessary actions to protect its national sovereignty and maritime security.