TAIPEI - Taiwan’s coast guard reported on Saturday that a Chinese coast guard ship and a Chinese oceanographic survey vessel carried out what Taipei described as the first coordinated operation aimed at provoking Taiwan in waters around the Pratas Islands.
The Pratas Islands, an atoll administered by Taiwan and designated as a national park, lie toward the northern reaches of the South China Sea. Lightly defended by Taiwan’s coast guard, the islands have become a focal point in a wider pattern of Chinese military and quasi-military activity intended to reinforce Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
According to a coast guard statement, a Chinese coast guard ship approached the Pratas on Friday, followed by an oceanographic survey vessel on Saturday. The coast guard characterized the pair of movements as a coordinated effort, saying: "This is the first observed instance of Chinese coast guard and survey vessels acting in coordination to provoke Taiwan."
The Pratas sit between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong and are more than 400 km (250 miles) from Taiwan island. Some security analysts view that distance as a factor that increases the atoll’s vulnerability to Chinese pressure.
Taiwan’s coast guard said the Chinese coast guard vessel broadcast that it was conducting law enforcement operations and also transmitted the political message that "Taiwan’s future lies in national reunification." Taipei dispatched its own coast guard vessels in response.
In turn, the Taiwan ship broadcast back: "Stop undermining peace. You should return and pursue democracy - that is the proper way to serve your country." The coast guard accused China of trying to establish a "false illusion" of jurisdiction over the area and warned that "Taiwan’s maritime sovereignty brooks no provocation."
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, the coast guard said. The Chinese government regards Taiwan and the Pratas as part of its territory; Taiwan rejects that claim and maintains that only the people of Taiwan can determine their future. The Pratas atoll has no civilian population.
Context and immediate facts
- The Chinese coast guard and a Chinese oceanographic survey vessel approached the Pratas Islands on consecutive days.
- Taiwan’s coast guard described the action as the first observed instance of such vessels operating in coordination to provoke Taiwan.
- Radio exchanges took place between the Chinese vessel and Taiwan’s coast guard, with political messaging and a direct rebuke from Taipei.
The coast guard emphasized its view that the Chinese actions sought to suggest a jurisdictional claim over waters the Taiwanese authority administers. Taipei reiterated its position that its maritime sovereignty is not open to provocation.