Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) released a statement on Friday, citing that four China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels approached the outlying islands of Kinmen and entered the restricted waters surrounding Shuitou, Jingshan, Liaoluo Bay, and Beiding Island. The provocation appears to be deliberate, occurring days ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In response, the CGA deployed four patrol vessels to engage in one-on-one parallel escort operations, broadcasting warnings in both Chinese and English. The Chinese vessels vacated the area after more than two hours.
This is the first instance in September that CCG vessels have crossed the maritime boundary in formation. So far this year, CCG vessels have entered Taiwan's offshore island waters 39 times.
The CGA emphasized that these actions by the CCG do not contribute to positive cross-strait relations and urged China to recognize the importance of regional peace and stability. The CGA reaffirmed its commitment to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty, adhering to the principles of non-provocation, non-conflict, non-avoidance, and non-submission, and will continue to enforce the law to maintain the security and order of Taiwan’s waters.