Taipei [Taiwan], June 23 : Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said on Sunday that it took measures that resulted in the departure of a Chinese coast guard vessel from Taiwan-controlled restricted waters near Dongsha Island in the South China Sea, as stated by the Central News Agency (CNA).
The China Coast Guard ship 3302 had entered waters to the west-northwest of Dongsha Island, but left at 6:10 am on Sunday after the CGA dispatched the 1,853-tonne cutter Hsun Hu No. 7 and the 5,919-tonne Yunlin to shadow the ship and issue warnings, according to the CGA's statement. The CGA denounced China's violations of the waters surrounding Dongsha Island, which has been designated as the location of Taiwan's first marine national park since 2007, according to CNA.
According to the CGA, this latest incident marks the 11th intrusion of the year by a Chinese official vessel into Dongsha Island. The CGA pointed out that some Chinese coast guard ships disabled their automatic identification system (AIS) during several of the intrusions, which hindered tracking efforts. This tactic is considered a part of "gray zone" activities, which involve coercive measures that avoid outright conflict.
The CGA also reported detecting an additional 111 incursions by 31 Chinese fishing boats in the area during the same timeframe, and they confiscated seven of these vessels. Some of the fishing boats that were infringed were observed operating in coordination with Chinese coast guard vessels near the Dongsha Atoll, a zone rich in marine wildlife where fishing and angling are prohibited, according to the CGA.
The CGA urged China to enhance regulation of its fishing boats and ensure they do not partake in illegal fishing operations beyond their designated fishing areas, especially since such activities pose a serious threat to marine ecology, according to the CGA. The incident on Sunday followed three intrusions by four Chinese coast guard vessels in waters off Taiwan's offshore Kinmen Islands on Thursday and Friday, according to the CGA.
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