《TAIPEI TIMES》 Taiwan says drives away 16 Chinese ships involved in ‘maritime harassment’

健康 國際 地方 蒐奇 影音 財經 娛樂 汽車 時尚 體育 3 C 評論 藝文 玩咖 食譜 地產 專區 TAIPEI TIMES 求職

A Coast Guard Administration （CGA） member monitors China Coast Guard ships near the Pratas Islands （Dongsha Islands） in the South China Sea yesterday. Photo courtesy of the CGA

Taiwan said yesterday it had driven away 16 Chinese coast guard, research and fishing vessels involved in simultaneous “maritime harassment” operations.

An “unusually large” number of Chinese vessels took part in the coordinated operations around Taiwan proper and Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands （Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島）, the Taiwanese coast guard said in a statement.

The Chinese vessels, including four fishing boats, carried out “simultaneous operations at multiple locations and engaged in hybrid warfare,” the statement said.

The locations were off Taiwan’s eastern, southern and southwestern coastlines, and around Pratas. Some of the Chinese vessels entered Taiwan’s restricted waters.

China has intensified its maritime pressure on Taiwan in recent months, deploying record numbers of coast guard, research and other vessels around the island.

Yesterday’s operation comes after Taiwan’s coast guard used a water cannon against a Chinese recreational fishing vessel near Pratas, in the northern part of the South China Sea, on October 1.

Taiwan’s coast guard said its vessels took “forceful action immediately to effectively neutralise the threats.”

“China is attempting to unilaterally alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and create the false impression of jurisdiction,” the statement said. “Such actions will only lead to resentment among the people of Taiwan, and the Coast Guard Administration condemns them in the strongest terms.”

China began conducting law enforcement patrols in waters to the east of Taiwan in June, which Taipei branded as “provocative” and “expansionism in disguise.”

Beijing has since dialled up pressure, deploying a record 244 coast guard, scientific research and other ships around Taiwan’s main island in July, Taiwanese official data show.

That compares with 55 ships detected in June and 30 in May, and 58 in July last year. In the first 21 days of August, 152 vessels were detected.

About 60 percent are coast guard ships, with research vessels and other government boats making up the rest.

The figures do not include Chinese warships, which China’s military deploys around Taiwan on a near-daily basis.

不用抽 不用搶 現在用APP看新聞 保證天天中獎 點我下載APP 按我看活動辦法

《TAIPEI TIMES》 North, south ports eyed as cruise hubs

《TAIPEI TIMES》 Frozen defense items not on agenda

藍營造勢場挨酸「喪事感」、長輩「旋轉舞」引熱議 網︰難怪強推《老福法》

丈夫突進加護病房 新住民配偶搶洋流飄帶盼「沈伯洋給力」

（影）三上悠亞「閃身步」辣翻全網 15小時狂吸180萬觀看

特斯拉 Roadster 台灣官網展開預定！飛天版能否上路 交通部回應了

假日雪隧車多 賴清德避交管惹民怨 改搭火車赴宜蘭輔選林國漳

蘇姿丰父親成大洋流驚喜來賓 推薦沈伯洋數度感動哽咽

薔琵明達巔峰！強颱之姿近台路徑「3劇本」 不排除海陸警齊發

iPhone 18 Pro Max不是唯一選擇！網友最想買的Android旗艦是它

自由觀點》誰要當中國人？中國人自己都不願意了

2萬人湧入！ 洋流號抵達民權公園 人潮爆滿傳LINE都卡住