Four Chinese Coast Guard vessels entered restricted waters around Kinmen, says Taiwan

Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) shadowed four China Coast Guard vessels that entered Taiwan-controlled waters around offshore Kinmen County on Thursday, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

In a statement, the CGA said that four Chinese vessels approached the outer boundary of “restricted” waters around Kinmen and intruded into Taiwan-controlled waters at 7 am (local time) from four different points to the east and southeast of Liaoluo Bay, the south of Zhaishan, and the south of Fengzui.

It was China Coast Guard vessels’ first intrusion in July and 31st in 2024, according to Taiwan’s CGA. The Taiwan’s CGA sent four ships to shadow the intruders and broadcast warnings, the statement said, according to CNA report.

The Chinese ships left the restricted waters at 9 am (local time) and re-entered at 10 am (local time) when Taiwan’s Coast Guard again dispatched four vessels following Beijing’s action.

Later, Chinese vessels left Taiwan-controlled waters between 12 pm (local time) to 1 pm (local time). The Taiwan’s CGA said that the China Coast Guard’s actions undermined maritime safety and do not help cross-strait exchanges. The CGA stated that it will continue to uphold Taiwan’s rights in the sea.

As the Kinmen County and Xiamen are in close proximity, China’s territorial waters encompass all of Kinmen, leaving Taiwan with a compromise measure as it demarcates “prohibited” and “restricted” waters around the Kinmen Islands that extend 1,500 meters to 10,000 meters from the shores of the archipelago, according to CNA report.

Earlier in June, Taiwan’s Coast Guard (CGA) monitored four China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels in restricted waters off the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

The intrusion was reported to the CGA’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch sometime after 5 am (local time). CGA’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch said that they dispatched three patrol boats to keep a watch on the Chinese vessels and collect evidence until they left the area at 8 am (local time).

The branch said that four Chinese boats, numbered 14609, 14603, 14513, and 14605, paired up and respectively entered the restricted area from east of Beiding Island and south of Fuxing Island for sorties that lasted about two hours.

Taiwan’s CGA stressed that the actions of the Chinese Coast Guard do not maintain the ties between Kinmen and Xiamen, nor do they advance regional stability. However, the China Coast Guard (CCG) said its actions were legal.

According to Taiwan’s CGA, China’s Coast Guard have frequently intruded into Taiwan-controlled waters near the Kinmen Islands since the capsizing of an unnamed and unregistered Chinese speedboat on February 14, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

On February 14, Chinese speed boat collided with Taiwan CGA’s patrol vessel and capsize in waters near Kinmen while being pursued, resulting in deaths of two Chinese crew. Since then, China has sent coast guard vessels into the Taiwan-controlled waters, stressing that it has the right to legally patrol the area.