TAIWAN-TAIPING-ISLAND-DRILL
On October 31, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 3102 entered the restricted waters of Dongsha with its AIS turned off. The Taiwan Coast Guard dispatched Patrol Vessel 7 to monitor the vessel and demand that it leave.

A China Coast Guard ship switched off its automatic identification system (AIS) on Oct. 31 and entered the restricted waters around Dongsha Island while concealing its movements. The Taiwan Coast Guard promptly dispatched the patrol vessel Hsun Hu No. 7 to monitor the ship and order it to leave. The two sides engaged in a close standoff at sea, and the Taiwan Coast Guard said it would continue to guard against further Chinese coast guard activity in the area.

According to a Central News Agency report on Oct. 31, the Coast Guard Administration’s Southeast Sand Islands Branch said the Dongsha command detected China Coast Guard ship 3102 in waters northwest of Dongsha Island early that morning. The vessel had not activated its AIS, apparently to conceal its position and heading, and was moving toward the waters around Dongsha.

The Coast Guard Administration immediately deployed Hsun Hu No. 7. At about 4 a.m., the China Coast Guard ship entered the restricted waters from the west of Dongsha Island, prompting Hsun Hu No. 7 to approach it for monitoring and enforcement. The vessels remained in a standoff, at one point coming within about 1 nautical mile of each other.

The Coast Guard Administration said Hsun Hu No. 7 repeatedly used radio broadcasts in Chinese and English to order the China Coast Guard ship to leave while sailing alongside it to monitor its movements. The China Coast Guard responded by claiming over the radio that it was conducting a law enforcement patrol and that the waters fell under Chinese jurisdiction.

Taiwan Coast Guard personnel rejected the claim over the radio, stressing that the China Coast Guard ship had entered Taiwan-administered waters without permission, disrupting maritime order and safety, and demanding that it immediately change course and leave.

The Coast Guard Administration said it has driven away China Coast Guard ships from the waters around Dongsha 13 times this year, involving 16 ship appearances in total. It also said China Coast Guard ships have recently stepped up activity around Kinmen and Dongsha, with the latest incident, in which the ship entered the Dongsha restricted waters with its AIS switched off, making maritime monitoring and response more difficult.

The Dongsha Islands are located in the northern South China Sea and occupy an important geographic and maritime strategic position. China Coast Guard activity in the area has become a continuing concern for Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration and regional security agencies.

Following the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would continue monitoring maritime developments and take necessary measures to maintain order at sea. It remains to be seen whether the China Coast Guard will continue similar operations around Dongsha and whether contact between the two sides at sea will escalate further.